By ANTHONY RIFILATO
, as school officials and police sought to assuage fears sparked by a melee at the school on March 7 that involved more than 50 students.
Hundreds of parents attended the meeting on March 13, an occasionally contentious forum at which administrators tried to dispel rumors and provide facts amid criticism from many parents of the school's handling of the fracas.
Both Principal Susan Knors and district Superintendent Robert Britto said that security and staff had done their best to bring the fight under control, and were implementing a number of measures to prevent similar fights from happening in the future.
They also said they have suspended several students who were involved in the brawl, and expected more suspensions in the coming weeks as the school and police investigate the cause of the incident, which took place after school in the commons area.
Police and school officials said they still do not know what triggered the altercation aside from a rivalry between juniors and seniors. It was not, they emphasized, gang-, drug- or race-related.
A time line
Knors and Britto outlined the chronology of events that escalated into the melee that Wednesday, when a number of students were "drawn into the mix." Security and other school staff helped break up the imbroglio and clear the area, Knors said. But a large number of students ran back into the building from outside the main entrance and "re-ignited and escalated the situation," she said, a fight that grew to more than 50 students, many pummeling and trampling one another.
Knors said that a security guard was knocked down during the fighting and was taken to an emergency room, where she was treated and released. One department chairwoman also sustained injuries, Knors said, while trying to disperse the crowd and assist the security guard. She, too, was treated at an emergency room.
That evening, Knors said, an investigation was initiated, and "police were notified and enlisted to assist the following day." Additional security from Baldwin Middle School was ordered to the high school as well on Thursday, March 8, she said.
That day, administrators met with the police department, she said, a number of students were interviewed and several suspensions were ordered. Knors said that during a lunch period, another altercation between two students took place outside the cafeteria, and, as Knors described it, "Many students from the cafeteria ran out and got involved, heightening the situation." Administrators, supervisors and security guards restored order, she said, and no one was hurt.
"During this fight, the bell was held to ensure that the cafeteria and surrounding areas were settled before the rest of the students proceeded to their next class," Knors explained.
An announcement was made that the cafeteria would be closed the following day, and other precautionary measures included the cancellation of after-school activities and restricted entry into the building. "If you did not arrive with an ID or a schedule, you would be detained in the cafeteria and issued a temporary ID," Knors said.
Only the main entrance and the entrance to the 600 wing were open Thursday and Friday. There was an increased police presence inside and outside the building, and all IDs and schedules were checked. In addition to police, Knors said that school security, administrators and teachers also had an increased presence in the hallways. "These teachers volunteered to assist during their free time during the day," she said.
Despite rumors that weapons had been involved in the fighting, a search of several students' lockers, followed by a bag and personal search, turned up only one weapon, according to Knors: a small, Swiss Army-style knife in a student's locker, which was confiscated. That student was "disciplined appropriately," she said, but the knife was too small to warrant an arrest, school officials and police said.
Parents weigh in
A number of parents expressed their concerns, at times shouting over one another in what some described afterward as a disorderly forum, while others said the meeting created a useful dialogue between parents and school officials. Some told Knors and Britto that they didn't feel that their children were safe at the school, while some students and other parents vocally disagreed.
"So far things have been very calm," said Knors. "Your children should be more than safe."
Many asked why the school staff had been unaware of the brewing confrontation when most students seemed to know what was going to happen. "If our security task force had any inkling, we would have been informed and precautions would have been taken," said Knors. "There is no way that I can believe that anyone in this building could have anticipated what took place. We do not sit on information. In this particular case, we did not have a heads-up. If parents hear something, you should call us so we can take a proactive step."
Others criticized school officials for closing the cafeterias, saying that their children were forced to eat off school grounds as a result. "No, students were not forced to stay outside," Knors explained. "An announcement was made that they can bring their lunches or buy them and bring them back in - as they usually do - and eat inside a supervised auditorium."
Knors added that the cafeteria was closed because it seemed to be "a gathering place for confrontation." "The cafeteria was closed because it seemed to be where the fighting started," she said.
How could it happen?
Parents asked if administrators were aware of what was happening when the incident ignited, since many of them were in a faculty meeting at the time. Some parents complained that the response was slow, a claim that Knors and others took issue with. "When we heard some rumblings, many members did run out," she said.
Others asked about the role School Resource Officers have at Baldwin High, and whether they patrol the school in order to prevent such incidents and make arrests. First Precinct Inspector Rick Capece, who was on hand with the resource officers, explained that the two officers are not there in "crime-prevention mode." "These are not officers assigned like the city - this is different," Capece said. "SROs are assigned to the school district and are not assigned specifically just to be in the high school. In the high school, they do keep track of who is who and what's going on. They walk through the commons and are here on the grounds, but they are not here every minute that the children are in school."
Some parents said that the high school's 17 security guards were not enough to keep the campus secure, a contention that some students and staff disagreed with (See "Students speaks out," below). "That is a ridiculous ratio in a school with 1,700 kids," one parent later said. "They need more security in that school."
Director of Facilities Mike Sheehan said that the school is looking into adding more security guards as a result of the incident. PTA Vice President Donna Lerner and others said that if parents want additional security, they must support the upcoming budget. "If you don't support your budget, you won't get more security," Lerner said.
Others criticized the efficacy of security cameras in the commons, some of which were obstructed by flags, since the fight occurred on Flag Day, and were no help in identifying the students involved. "The cameras do work but don't get every angle of the building," Sheehan said.
Dealing with the troublemakers
Perhaps parents' biggest concern was how the school would discipline the students involved, with many calling for criminal charges and other measures to keep those responsible for the brawl out of the school.
"As frustrating as it may be, all of these suspects have due rights," Britto said. "They must go through a process."
Britto said that under state law, in order to supersede a principal's five-day suspension, a Superintendent's Suspension must be ordered, which involves the compilation of evidence and its presentation to the superintendent, who can suspend a student for up to a year, Britto explained. He added that in some cases, students have a right to legal counsel, which can lengthen the process.
"So that is now, depending on the case and student, a process that is unfolding," Britto said.
Many parents said that a five-day suspension was not enough, since the troublemakers would be back in school as the investigations continued. Others said that some of the students responsible for the melee continue to walk the halls, at times bullying other students on and off school property. "Everyone is just angry at the administration, because they don't think they are stepping up and doing what they should be doing," one parent said after the meeting. "They have a zero tolerance policy that doesn't mean a thing."
But Knors said that administrators are doing everything they can, and in an attempt to weed out the students involved, are aggressively investigating the incident. "I can't tell you how many names have been given to us," she told parents, adding that numerous students were questioned after the fight. Knors and Britto assured the group that more community meetings would be held in the next month or so to keep parents updated. "I can tell you that your concerns are being heard and are not being ignored," Knors said.
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