A defender of South Burlington High School’s “Rebels” nickname pleaded not guilty Thursday to stalking a student who helped lead the push to drop the name.
Dan Emmons denied stalking Isaiah Hines, 18, who is a senior at the school. Hines was at the forefront of the effort to drop the name from sports uniforms and scoreboards on the grounds that it harkens back to the racist history of the Confederacy.
Hines is a student representative to the school board and leader of the Student Diversity Union. Emmons, 43, is a South Burlington parent who opposed the school board vote in February to drop the name. He supports a public vote on the question, which has roiled the community.
According to a three-page police affidavit presented in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington, Emmons confronted Hines at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in South Burlington, put his hand on his shoulder and told him, “You need to be careful.” He also said, “You guys have made a lot of people mad,” and “You’re shitting in the wrong yard,” the affidavit states.
The encounter took place March 25, states the affidavit, by South Burlington police Cpl. Kevin Grealis.
Later that same day, according to the officer’s affidavit, Emmons sent Hines a private Facebook message that read: “It was nice to see you and your friends today. My advice to you, our interaction stays quiet. Here’s why … The following pictures of your friend will go to Principal Phillips and her parents.”
Patrick Phillips is the interim principal at South Burlington High School.
One of the pictures was of a 17-year-old South Burlington female student “with what appeared to be drugs,” and another picture showed Hines and a group of students “giving the middle finger,” according to the affidavit. The pictures had been posted on social media, it states.
Hines told police he felt uncomfortable after another incident with Emmons that took place following a school board meeting in February. Emmons asked Hines if he could walk him to his car. Hines said yes. “He lectured me on how I had made a mistake in asking the board to change the Rebel name … He came off as very unhinged,” Hines is quoted as saying in the affidavit.
Hines went to South Burlington High School guidance counselor Timothy Wile after the incident at the Goodwill store to express his concerns, according to the affidavit. Wile contacted Grealis, the school resource officer, who then met with him and Hines.
Hines and Wiles did not did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
During the arraignment, Emmons’ attorney, Bill Norful, argued that his client should not be charged because there was no probable cause to support a stalking allegation.
“This is free speech. This is not stalking. This is no one in peril,” Norful said. “This is pure politics.”
As for the photos Emmons threatened to show the principal, they were on social media and should not have been posted if the individuals did not want them to be further propagated, Norful said in court.
Deputy State’s Attorney Susan Hardin disagreed and said Emmons’ conduct was threatening. The case is not about free speech or political speech, she added.
Judge David Fenster said that the encounter after the school board meeting did not meet the probable cause standard. But he said that the alleged incident at the Goodwill Store and the message Emmons sent to Hines on Facebook constitute probable cause for stalking, and noted that causing “emotional distress” is one of the legal thresholds for stalking.
He ordered that Emmons be free on his own recognizance and appear in court on the misdemeanor charge May 17.
Emmons was originally cited to appear on charges of stalking and a second infraction, disturbing the peace by use of electronic communication. That part of the citation was dropped before the hearing.
After the arraignment, Emmons clutched a blue-bound copy of the U.S. Constitution. He said he saw Hines at the Goodwill store by coincidence and did not put his hand on the teen’s shoulder.
“I never touched him,” said Emmons.
He disagreed with other aspects of the affidavit and said he was being targeted for political reasons.
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I wholeheartedly agree Carol! He should be ashamed of himself; he needs to take a good look at his own behavior and realize….i’m taking this too far and I’m crossing the line. These are kids.
Really really tired of people saying “playing the race card”….
For most of the commenters, Dan Emmons is guilty until proven innocent. To what other criminal defendants does that standard apply? Does it depend on the hue of the accused’s skin? On the hue of the purported victim’s skin? On the accused’s or the alleged victim’s belief system? What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
When did the name, which has been in place over 50 years, become racist? Is opposing the name change, which many commenters accuse Dan Emmons of, a crime? What is the punishment? Death? Re-education camp? Loss of civil rights? Just asking.
The accuser may actually be a victim, if not necessarily by Dan Emmons. Regardless of what occurred in the GW store, he appears to have been victimized by the adults around him who taught him that claiming to be a victim can give you awesome power over others. He is further victimized by many of the commenters on this page, who further enable his victimhood. The problem is that being a victim is generally not a good strategy for lifelong success. There are notable exceptions of course. A few well known activists have parlayed the purported victimization of others to great personal power and wealth.
All that has to happen is for someone to play the race card and all the usual suspect wannabe judges come out of the woodwork to condemn people they don’t know, and to try to discredit an entire group of community members. All in the name of political correctness, naturally. Nauseating.
This is beyond creepy and ridiculous, that a grown man is harrassing this student AND that so many alumni, many of whom no longer live here, are wreaking such havoc over this decision. I hope the South Burlington residents who have not been voting will step up to the polls next time and vote the budget through – and put an end to the destructiveness of the Rebel Alliance in this community.
Excellent story, Molly, I hope you will continue to follow this story and the related story of the mayhem being caused by Dan Emmons and his Rebel Alliance crowd. The library at the South Burlington Middle School was filled to capacity last night at a special meeting of the School Board. The majority of those present and those who spoke ,including statements read from all the teachers, former board members and parents of children in school, supported the name change, the budget, the school board and the superintendant.
Everyone knows the 1st amendment was meant to protect the right of an unhinged 43 year old man to berate a high school student.
Emmons just dealt a fatal blow to his own cause and made Hines a hero. Time to give up.
Anyone who knows Dan knows that he is a gentle and nonthreatening person. The comments that Dan or any other person who does not support the name change is a racist do not warrant a response other than to say they are intended to shut down speech and speakers the commenters disagree with.
The SB folks in the Rebel Alliance are obviously obsessed about preserving their incredibly racist high school mascot, and racist mascot name. Their behavior is ruining the reputation of South Burlington.
These “so called adults” who refer to themselves as the Rebel Alliance should be more concerned about the racism being condoned by this racist name. It is hurting SB’s many minority students and families, The folks in the RA should stop chasing their “good old hign school days”…grow up Rebel Alliance !! The Civil War is over and the Rebel lost ! Send the Rebel packing!
This 43 year old’s behavior is way over the line..,,sad days in S Burlington.
When will a real leader emerge to shout down the folks fostering racism in SB? Too many folks scared of being defeated at the polls? Sad, very, very sad…,
Whatever the merits of the criminal charge, it seems that this 43 year old man needs to stop grieving for the glory days of his Rebel youth. This is not normal, healthy, rational adult behavior.