Dearborn school meeting ends over large crowd • Detroit businesses closed after shooting • New job incentive

TUESDAY NEWS HIT - School board members at Dearborn cut their Monday meeting short after a crowd upset with how the district reviews books packed into the conference room. 

The crowd, numbering about a hundred strong, brought signs and chanted against the school board members. Many vented their concerns about content in books that discusses sexuality.

Eventually the group was forced to leave after the school board said the crowd had created a fire hazard. The meeting cancelation only fired the crowd up more.

"I am the one who is going to deliver a message to everybody: We are not going to tolerate the school board walking out," said one man as he left the building.

"We are not against anybody, we are not against homosexuality, we all have our beliefs - but this has nothing to do with that. We're here just to talk about the books and the pornography in these books," said another man.

The subject of books has become a contentious topic in schools in the U.S. Where debates over mask policies in districts became heated in 2021, this year its books with themes of LGBTQ and racial identity that have become the target of criticism by some parents. 

In one of the more contentious examples, a west Michigan library weighed needing to shut down after voters from Jameston Township rejected a millage that funds the facility. Funding from other sources eventually helped the library stay open.

In Dearborn, the criticism was sparked over how the district reviews which books it allows in its library. According to a release from the school system, the district now has new criteria for how libraries evaluate which books are okay - as well as how parents can address concerns about specific titles.

There is also an opt-out form that parents can use to limit specific titles.

"We realize the community has many strong feelings on both sides of the issue of limiting student access to some books," said Superintendent Glenn Maleyko.  "We work hard to make sure our schools are welcoming, safe spaces for all students, and our libraries will continue to reflect that as well.  However, we are also aware that the vast majority of students in our care are minors, still learning about life and the world, and they are not ready emotionally or intellectually to process some content."

The boisterous meeting was first recessed until the school board could get in touch with the fire marshal. Soon after, the police chief suspended the meeting. 

It has since been rescheduled for Fordson High School, which is a larger venue capable of housing more people. It is set for Thursday.

Tudor Dixon one on one at FOX 2

The Republican candidate for governor joined FOX 2 Tuesday to discuss Michigan's economy and her stance on abortion. Tudor Dixon is vying for the governor seat currently held by Gretchen Whitmer. 

She said Michigan is too difficult a state to attract businesses to, leading to loss of future economic revenue streams and sinking the state. Last week, Whitmer celebrated the announcement of two new battery plant facilities that will be built in the state.

Dixon said she would want to see the income tax phased out in hopes of encouraging more businesses to arrive. She also repeated her stance on abortion that she would only support the medical practice in cases of the mother's safety. 

However, she also said that it's a decision that will be made by the people and one that she wouldn't stand in the way of if citizens approved the pending ballot measure that would enshrine abortion in the constitution.

2 Detroit businesses shut down after murder, non-fatal shooting

Two shootings outside Detroit businesses lead to investigations that resulted in them being shut down. "As Chief White talked about with his Five Point Plan accountability from venues, they brought us in, and we took a look," Detroit Police Deputy Franklin Hayes.

The city shut down Taste of Nigeria and Big Mouf Hookah Lounge after shootings a month apart outside the businesses on Livernois just south of Davison. "One was critically injured, again a long road to recovery, and unfortunately the other victim lost their life," Hayes said. 

A man was shot in August after a dispute between people at the hookah lounge and the restaurant next door. Then, in September a woman was shot and killed while attending a birthday party at Taste of Nigeria. Police said she was outside the eatery with a group when a man walked up from the alley and shot at the crowd. 

"So, this business right now is illegally operating. They do not have a current business license nor does the property have a CFC (certificate for compliance). That building is not zoned for him to be operating. It is basically retail on that stretch of Livernois," said Jessica Parker, the Chief Enforcement Officer with the Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED).

Read more about the business closures here.

Detroit to pay residents to complete education, enter jobforce

The city of Detroit is implementing a unique approach to help residents get back on the job. The goal is simple: the city wants to pay residents to get jobs. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan unveiled the city's plan to pay up to $2,200 per person who has been on long-term unemployment, or even with a criminal history, to get into the workforce.

"We are delivering a strong message here nobody is forgotten," Duggan said. 

According to the mayor, there are 11,000 unfilled jobs in the city of Detroit. Starting on Monday, the city is enlisting grassroots groups to help recruit people in the community to fill those jobs - and everyone will get paid.

Applications for these organizations are due November 7 in order to become what the city is dubbing "In Detroit Organization" (IDO). According to Duggan, these grassroots groups have access to long-term unemployed folks and can reach those that aren’t tuned in to the programs the city offers.

Detroit Eight Mile Wall gets historical designation

The Birwood Wall once separated races in Detroit. Stretching from Eight Mile Road to Pembroke Avenue, it was built in 1941 and used to segregate Black and white neighborhoods. It allowed a white developer to get home loans from the Federal Housing Administration that were not available to Black people due to redlining.

The wall, which is also known as the Eight Mile Wall and the Berlin Wall, still stands, and Monday it received a historical dedication and marker, a reminder of its place in history and the present day.

"History lost is history that can be repeated, so every time we are educating we are making sure that current and future generations are prepared," said Rochelle Riley, with Detroit Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship. 

"Making about the same amount of money, income equal but because whites are getting guaranteed home loans by the FHA, within a couple of decades, we would have a wealth gap," Detroit historian Jamon Jordan said.

Here is more history on the Detroit Eight Mile Wall.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Hello sun, 70s, and only some stray clouds as good weather arrives Tuesday in Southeast Michigan. We can expect to get some rain tonight - up to an inch. The weather will also be nice Wednesday before temperatures tumble in the second half of the week.

What else we're watching

1. Michigan State Police recovered a stolen vehicle that was carjacked in Detroit in late September. It's unclear if the driver that was arrested was the same person who stole the car, but he was found with a pistol that he tossed to the ground as he fled police.
2. Multiple robberies were reported in Detroit after a snatch-and-grab attempt at a Bank of America on Grand River near Southfield Freeway and at a AT&T store on Michigan Avenue in Corktown. FOX 2's Charlie Langton caught footage of the aftermaths. 
3. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is this weekend. Henry Ford Health officials plan to talk about the assistance that's given to runners for any medical needs or emergencies that occur on the course.
4. A new tree planting initiative is going to kick off in Detroit Tuesday. A partnership with DTE enabled the city to join a larger effort to beautify the city. The event is scheduled at 10 a.m. on John Lutheran Church at 10 a.m.
5. Calvin Johnson will be one of many panels at a DBusiness Magazine panel on the cannabis industry in Michigan and the U.S. It starts at 9:30 a.m.

Supreme Court to hear case that could raise price of bacon, other pork products

The Supreme Court will hear arguments over a California animal cruelty law that could raise the cost of bacon and other pork products nationwide.

The case’s outcome is important to the nation’s $26-billion-a-year pork industry, but the outcome could also limit states’ ability to pass laws with impact outside their borders, from laws aimed at combating climate change to others intended to regulate prescription drug prices.

The case before the court on Tuesday involves California's Proposition 12, which voters passed in 2018. It said that pork sold in the state needs to come from pigs whose mothers were raised with at least 24 square feet of space, including the ability to lie down and turn around. That rules out the confined "gestation crates," metal enclosures that are common in the pork industry.