Seems like DC Public schools draft discipline plan just released on February 3rd may be too little too late for Tuesday's brawl at Cardozo Senior High School. On Tuesday, sixteen students were arrested at Cardozo Senior High after a lunchtime melee. AP stories appeared on the Internet on this touchy subject mid-day on school violence and on the evening news and in local newspapers. In a WaPo Wednesday article , Paul Duggan reported that "More than a dozen students at the District's Cardozo High School were injured yesterday and 16 were arrested after a large group of girls began fighting in the basement lunchroom and several smaller fights broke out nearby, police and witnesses said." On the Internet, some students were quoted as saying "blood was everywhere." While it was reported that most of the students injuries were minor, five students required treatment at area hospitals. One 17-year-old student was knocked to the floor and suffered a head injury and was unconscious as a result.
According to D.C. police Cmdr. Brian Jordan of the school security unit "...Evidently there was an incident that occurred after school (Monday) between some of the young ladies, and it spilled over into the school..." All indications are it might have occurred over something as minor as somebody pulling somebody's hair." He said officers assigned to Cardozo called for help about noon after they encountered "a large group of females engaging in just a big fight" in the lunchroom. Patrol cars from across the department's 3rd District converged on the school, in the 1200 block of Clifton Street NW. "As a result of the large fight, several other melees began to erupt" near the lunchroom and on the first floor, Jordan said."
It has been reported that of the 16 students who were arrested, one of the students was charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer, two with aggravated assault and most of the rest with disorderly conduct. Even though classes resumed after the fights, officials had Cardozo students leave in intervals in order to prevent students from congregating after school was dismissed.
I think many would agree that a strong discipline policy for DC schools is needed sooner than later. What would you include in DC's Discipline Policy ? (Posted by The Washington Teacher). Article courtesy of http://www.washingtonpost.com/
