Another racial brawl at Jefferson High School
Nicholas Shields:
Two Jefferson High School students were arrested and another broke his hip Monday in the second melee on the campus in less than a week, authorities said.
More than 100 black and Latino students were involved in what administrators say was a racially and gang-motivated brawl. Officials said school police used pepper spray to defend themselves and quell the melee.
The incident occurred near the cafeteria at 12:15 p.m., when the two groups began gathering separately, officials said.
"Despite efforts to keep everybody apart, there was this intent to fight," said Alan Kerstein, chief of the Los Angeles School Police Department.
Kerstein said six students were detained and two were arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer. He said students tossed rocks at officers and one student broke his hip as he attempted to flee police.
Officials said 16 school and LAPD officers had been on campus since the brawl Thursday, which also involved about 100 black and Latino students. School administrators had been reluctant then to label the fight as being racially motivated but now acknowledge that racial tensions on the campus played a role.
Following last week's brawl, students were escorted to their classrooms, and after a brief lockdown, were released early.
Hours after Monday's brawl, many Jefferson students said they feared that the racial tension at the school would only intensify. "Maybe tomorrow, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday — it's going to get even worse," said Jorge Santizo, 19.
The left side of Dayson Sinclair's head was noticeably swollen Monday, three hours after the melee. He said the bruise came from the brawl. "I can't even enjoy school," Sinclair, 18, said. "We need metal detectors in there."
District 5 Supt. Rowena Lagrosa said she didn't know what has caused the increase in racial tension but said gang activity was spilling into the school.
In the news:
Dozens of Police Officers Patrol Jefferson High After Race Brawl
posted by Adam Lawson @ 12:24 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Man oh man. And at a HS no less.
I guess the rational response here is to see this as a rather serious problem and try to do something about it, at a minimum and at all costs to restore and keep order so students can attend without fear.
But I guess I'm not rational enough, because overwhelmingly I feel disgust and anger when I read this kind of report, which of course I increasingly do. Given the demographic changes taking place via immigration in many communities, I think this sort of thing is likely to get worse before it gets better, if it ever does get better. The anger and disgust comes from knowing that decent people have to deal and live with it every day.
I'm not overly fond of melodrama or hyperbole about it, but it's hard not to worry about the future of the country, which may be further balkanized by this sort of on the ground reality.
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