A sharp rise in violent incidents among students at a Massachusetts school has prompted four school committee members to seek help from the National Guard. The high school in question—Brockton High—is a predominantly Black school in an area just south of Boston.
The Context: The incident first began after a letter was sent to Brockton mayor Robert Sullivan, urging him to “seek immediate assistance to prevent a potential tragedy.” The letter further alleges that a “disturbing increase” in student violence and abuse can only be quelled by deploying National guardsmen to the school.
- “Recognizing the gravity of the situation, we are formally requesting that you reach out to Governor Healey and request the deployment of the National Guard to assist in restoring order, ensuring the safety of all individuals on the school premises, and implementing measures to address the root causes of the issues we are facing.“
- “We understand the gravity of this request and the importance of collaboration between local and state authorities. The National Guard’s expertise in crisis management and community support can offer a vital temporary intervention, allowing for a comprehensive, long-term solution to be developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.”
Misbehavior: In a series of videos purporting to show gang fights and other brawls inside Brockton High School, viewers can see crowds of non-White teenagers duke it out in the halls, occuring with some frequency. According to the education ranker, GreatSchools, Brockton is currently 63% Black and 15% Hispanic.
A counselor with the school, Winthrop Farwell, Jr., stressed that more needs to be done to enforce already established rules.
- “We don’t consistently enforce class cuts, students are roaming hallways, vaping and smoking takes place. Use of cell phones is rampant and students run to film fights which occur in a building,” said Farwell. “This is unacceptable. We must support our teachers when they file reports of misconduct.”
- “We have assaults on staff and students with minimal consequences. School absenteeism and violations of the current code of conduct need to be uniformly and consistently addressed with mandatory parental conferences,” Farwell went on to say. “Parents need to be involved in solving current issues.”
Why This Matters: Schools of all grades and ages continue to be filled with abhorrent acts of violence, stemming mostly from non-White students. According to the White-Papers Policy Institute, American schools have become “unsafe” for White students.
- Black male students are 1.5 times more likely than White male students to bring a firearm to school. While Hispanic females are more than twice as likely to bring a gun to school when compared to White females. In total some 11% of Black male K-12 students are regularly carrying a firearm to school, making school-related firearm violence a certainty.
- Shootings are not the only form of violence, of course. Black students are 85% more likely than White students to engage in violence. Puerto Rican youth are 26 percent more likely to commit a violent act than White students.