Did ‘Fear’ Fuel NJ Woman’s ‘Skinhead’ Traffic Rant Against Cop?

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Was a school board member’s emotional, race-related meltdown during a traffic stop last month fueled by a climate of fear between minorities and police? That’s what a local nonprofit is suggesting in the wake of South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad’s encounter with a police officer last month.

During the April 27 incident, an emotional Lawson-Muhammad called the local police chief a “skinhead” after a South Orange officer pulled her over for allegedly speeding. She then apparently attempted to use her position on the board as leverage to get out of a ticket and told the officer that she is “scared of cops because you guys hurt black people.”

Several Patch readers and social media users called the incident “racist.” (Read some of their comments below)

On May 17, almost three weeks after the traffic stop took place, Lawson-Muhammad issued a public apology.

“First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize for my uncharacteristic behavior displayed in the police video on April 27,” she stated. “I had an irrational response to being stopped for a traffic violation. I allowed my emotions to overwhelm me that morning, and I fell short of the standards to which I hold myself.”

Her apology wasn’t enough for the SOMA Black Parents Workshop, the group that released the traffic stop video and which has been calling for Lawson-Muhammad’s resignation in the wake of the incident.

The group, which has been active in local civil rights issues involving African-American residents of South Orange and Maplewood, said that if the role was reversed, they would have taken the officer and the department to task.

“We can be no less outraged under the present circumstances,” President Walter Fields said.

After Lawson-Muhammad confirmed that she has no plans to resign during a board meeting on Monday, Fields blasted her decision and labeled the meeting a “theatre of the absurd.”

“The only panic experienced by Ms. Lawson-Muhammad was the possibility of having to appear in court and risk her standing, as she defined herself as ‘a leading member of the community.’ When asked by the officer if she needed assistance because he was concerned she might be experiencing a panic attack, Ms. Lawson-Muhammad responded ‘No’ and ‘That’s a f****** insult.’ That’s not panic. That’s privilege.”

Watch dashcam footage from the April 27 traffic stop below.

‘HATRED DOESN’T GO AWAY WITH AN APOLOGY’

Several commenters on previous Patch articles about the traffic stop called the incident “racist” and said that Lawson-Muhammad should resign.

Seen online:

• “Her rant betrayed her obvious bias and bigotry (esp. calling the chief of police a “skin head”). Hatred like that doesn’t go away with an apology. She should be gracious and leave.”
• “The police officer showed great restraint and professionalism in dealing with this racist woman. Hopefully she will be removed from the school board.”
• “Sorry, she should resign, period. Not only did she display outrageous racist behavior, but she exposed her child to it, signaling that it is OK to profile someone by race.”

However, some people offered sympathetic comments as well:

• “The woman was wrong and she apologized. Unlike how the hard left reacts when the situation is reversed, I see no reason to ruin this woman’s life. It was a traffic stop and she said something stupid. It’s over now. Let her get back to her life.”

‘FILLED WITH TENSION AND FEAR’

After video of the encounter surfaced, South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race issued a statement about the racial aspect of the incident.

“We are saddened by this recent event as we have developed good relationships with both of the main parties involved in our work to improve the quality of life for all residents in our two towns. The Coalition has a good working relationship with South Orange Police Chief Kyle Kroll. He has kept his door open to us when we have had concerns about profiling or bias in policing. He is proactive on these issues and works to change policies and practices when bias is an issue. We appreciate his efforts here and we believe he deserves the community’s respect.”

The coalition also offered praise for Lawson-Muhammad:

“BOE member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad is the assigned liaison from the BOE to our Board of Trustees. Liaisons function in an ex-officio role to keep our board informed of actions that are connected to our mission of equity and racial integration in the schools and towns. In her role as a Board of Education member and as our liaison, she is a volunteer who gives her time and talent to the community and she has a record of working for racial equity in the schools.”

The coalition said that the language Lawson-Muhammad used during the encounter was “wrong” and “particularly problematic.” But the coalition added that there is an underlying atmosphere of “fear” that plays into every traffic stop involving police and a person of color.

“We are painfully aware that even routine stops by police of persons of color are filled with tension and fear and that is apparent in Ms. Lawson-Muhammad’s response. As the community grapples with the issues, we ask that we engage in constructive dialogue that works toward solutions of improving the interactions of persons of colors with the police. The ongoing power dynamics in the U.S. between whites and blacks must be candidly addressed in order to address the current unacceptable state of affairs in all aspects of social interaction.”

The April 27 traffic stop is only the latest incident in a series of race-related flare-ups in South Orange and Maplewood.

In March 2017 – the same week that a middle school in South Orange reported multiple incidents of racist graffiti in its bathroom – an elementary school in the district set off a firestorm of controversy when its fifth graders put mock advertisements for a “slave auction” on display inside the building.

In July 2016, emotions ran deep after police videos showed Maplewood officers using excessive force against a group of black youth after the township’s Independence Day fireworks event. Several officers were disciplined as a result of the violence.

In 2014, civil rights groups including the ACLU of New Jersey filed a complaint with the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights urging an investigation into the South Orange-Maplewood School District. The groups charged that the district’s tracking and discipline practices “disproportionately confine students of color to lower-level classes and punish students of color and students with disabilities to a greater degree.”

In May 2016, two Columbia High School students posted an Instagram photo of themselves in what appeared to be blackface makeup. Meanwhile, students at South Orange Middle School created a social media post that featured swastikas surrounded by Stars of David, symbols of the Soviet Union, raised middle fingers and a photo of the collapse of the World Trade Center.

In June 2017, a student at Columbia High School in Maplewood raised the ire of some teachers when she choreographed a dance that attempts to raise awareness about African-Americans’ struggles with racism and police brutality.

MOVING FORWARD IN SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD

Elizabeth Baker, president of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, offered a statement about the April 27 traffic stop last week:

“I understand that Ms. Lawson-Muhammad and Chief Kroll have met and that Ms. Lawson-Muhammad has both personally and publicly apologized to Chief Kroll. I want to thank Chief Kroll for his willingness to meet with Ms. Lawson-Muhammad and accept her apology. This meeting reflects the beginning of a difficult, restorative dialogue. Such a dialogue takes personal courage and a shared commitment to our community.”

Baker added:

“Since I was made aware by the South Orange Village Administrator of the traffic stop incident involving my fellow board member Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad, I have acted in consultation with the school district’s counsel to ensure adherence to all legal and ethical obligations. I also encouraged Ms. Lawson-Muhammad to personally apologize to Chief Kroll and engage in a dialogue that would repair the harms that her statements caused… I ask the members of our towns to support Chief Kroll and Ms. Lawson-Muhammad in this process.”

South Orange Village President Sheena Collum, who Lawson-Muhammad name-dropped during the video, said that she was never contacted at any point about helping to squash the ticket.

Collum commended the officer in the video as well as Police Chief Kyle Kroll, and issued a call to “move forward” from the incident and begin the healing process.

“On a personal note, I ask members of our community to look within themselves and be a part of the healing process and identify constructive ways to move forward together. With every challenge that comes before us, we have a choice of whether to incite division or seek out opportunities to better understand each other and grow stronger. As we set examples for our youth, I hope it is the latter. Our standards must remain high, and accountability can take various forms, whether it be punitive or restorative – the question is which better serves our purposes.”

Collum continued:

“The South Orange community, along with our sister town of Maplewood, is known for having hard but much needed conversations about race, intentional integration, implicit bias, community policing, social justice, privilege — and the list continues. These conversations are not easy — and sometimes uncomfortable — but are absolutely necessary. The Village has not been without fault, and while this unfortunate incident has made its way into the court of public opinion, both public and private meetings occur regularly with members of our community who have the courage to share their experiences and work with us to improve public safety operations. These agendas and concerns are often guided by a desire to bring about constructive change for the betterment of all our residents and guests. For that, I am grateful.”

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Photo/video courtesy of SOMA Black Parents Workshop

Photo 2 of Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad (Patch file image)