Cross Examine Cameron Cortez

NEW* Xanga --
Prosecution: Casey was being bullied --THOUGHT HE WAS BEING BULLIED - had motive
CORTEZ never saw Sawyer bullying Casey
Sawyer's reaction shocked to accusations
few students at seven to bear witness
saw Casey walking toward dining patio

Cross Examine Cameron Cortez
What is a guidance counselor? "Few careers are as potentially rewarding—or as frustrating—as that of a guidance counselor, whose job it is to help guide and structure children’s educational and vocational direction as they pass through an unstable and confusing time in their lives."

People become guidance counselors because they want to help students, and individuals who leave find many other ways to satisfy that desire: They return to school and become therapists, they head up substance-abuse programs, they run educational centers and programs, they become teachers without counseling duties, and they even become tutors. -- www.princetonreview.com/careers.aspx?cid=75 - 79k

So, Cameron Cortez is not necessarily a therapist.

Cortez is a character witness. (When we play defense, don't overlook the value of a character witness.) The situation betwen Campbell and Sawyer may lead to recall the witness.

Cameron Cortez (Ms. Cortez) was UPSET when Casey came to her office, claiming that Sawyer and friends were picking on him.

(line 10) drop in report card -- Are there other reasons besides bullying that a student's grades could drop? Have you ever known of an instance when a student looked for excuses when his or her grades dropped?

line 13 -- Casey was apparently spending a great deal of time thinking about The Crew.
line 14 Casey had ANGER AND FRUSTRATION.

line 17 -- She had suspicions. "I think" Brady had been unhappy for some time -- She doesn't know. Are there any other reasons besides bullying that a student might be withdrawn and miss school?


students drawing violent pictures at school -- do teachers report to you? would you be concerned? would you want to talk with the student? Would you call the student to your office?
Counseled Casey to use art as an outlet for feelings -- feelings that needed an outlet? Could be dangerous if not?
When vandalism takes place or any other crime, shouldn't the administration be involved? Cameron Cortez kept secret from the administration (and everyone else) the existence of the anonymous note she received about Brady.

What Brady told Cameron Cortez is Heresay? Able to clear Brady? How was it a full investigation if a note accusing him was kept secret? No evidence was found to implicate Sawyer -- in the vandalism or the anonymous note.

She keeps saying "I think." She doesn't know!
Do you know, not just think, that Sawyer and The Crew are bullies?
Do you know, not just think, that Sawyer and The Crew were involved with the spray-painting vandalism last year?
Do you know, that Sawyer sent the anonymous note?
Do you know, not just think, why Brady left Park Lane High School?

Should we address (and when) the "strange comment" that Cortez says Sawyer made in lines 32-33?
If people thought that Brady was a grafitti artist -- probably because of what Brady had said -- wouldn't it be hard for him to take when they find out -- because of the grafitti vandalism that he committed -- that he wasn't all that good?

Brady is irrelevant to the current case, but what do we do if defense brings him up?

Though Cortez keeps "a close eye on Sawyer" she is never able to catch her bullying. No other student in the school said that bullying was happening. From Casey's description of what Sawyer and the gang were doing to him, other students would have seen and heard things. Apparently no one did.

Casey, jealous of Sawyer and crew, attempted (without any other students to back him up) to cause trouble for Sawyer.

Sawyer would have smiled and denied the accusations --
the smile could indicate a student realized she hadn't done anything wrong, so there wouldn't be any reason for them to take away her privileges. Of course you'd expect an innocent person to deny false charges.

Suspicions are all that Cameron Cortez has. For some reason Cortez was siding with Casey -- who very well could have been lying to cause trouble for the kids he was jealous of.

Our Sawyer need to be prepared to explain what kind of comments she "aimed" at Casey during their senior year. What sorts of things could she have been saying? (line 49-50)





Is it considered a red flag (something to keep an eye on) when a student who has previously gotten good grades starts failing?