Pubdate:  Thu, 13 Jan 2000
Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Copyright: 2000 World Publishing Co.
Contact:  P.O. Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102
Website: http://www.tulsaworld.com/
Author:  Associated Press

TALIHINA BOARD FIRES NOTED DARE OFFICER

TALIHINA (AP) -- The DARE officer of the year for Oklahoma was fired by the 
Talihina Board of Trustees after she refused to turn over to the city money 
raised to support the drug awareness program.

Karen England, the officer, said she turned the money over to DARE America.

Students picketed City Hall and some cried after hearing the board's 
decision to dismiss England.

She taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to nine eastern 
Oklahoma school districts, where students called her "mean mama chicken" 
for the way she stood up for them.

The Talihina board did not give a specific reason Tuesday night for the 
firing. England was suspended for 30 days without pay Dec. 6 after refusing 
to turn over money raised to support the DARE program.

England said she believed she would be cheating students from other school 
districts if she turned the money over to Talihina. Instead, she has turned 
the funds over to DARE America, she said.

In June, the Talihina Board of Trustees declined to provide matching funds 
for the DARE program, said Jean Ed wards, a DARE supporter.

A federal grant supplies 75 percent of the money for the DARE program with 
the other 25 percent provided by matching funds.

Students, parents and others raised the matching funds for the federal 
grant by holding fund-raisers, including publishing a DARE cookbook, which 
had approval from the national organization to use the DARE trademark logo.

In November, the Talihina board ordered England to turn the money over to 
the city. She refused.

In a letter addressed to the Talihina Board of Trustees, Mark Stines, DARE 
America marketing director, said the money England had raised had to be 
maintained in a separate account.

He also said that no one community should have control of the funds since 
students from three counties were involved in raising the money.

England provided DARE training for schools in LeFlore, Latimer and 
Pushmataha counties. She was selected as the state DARE officer of the year 
in 1999 by the Oklahoma DARE Officers Association board of directors.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake