LAURINBURG — Parents and teachers filled the Scotland County School Board meeting Monday evening to discuss fights at Scotland High School.
Emotions ran high at the meeting, with some in the crowd interrupting to board members. Speakers asked that the board bring back a zer0-tolerance policy to the district.
Jeff Shelly, a parent, asked the board, “Why are we having these fights in the school? Who do we hold accountable? And what are we going to do about it?”
He said he has two children who attend the high school and his girlfriend works at SHS. “I train horses and have chicken houses. Whenever an animal doesn’t perform, you know what I do, I cull it, I get rid of it. If we don’t have people in the right place to do this, let’s cull ‘em,” he said eliciting applause from the people in attendance. “Let’s move them on. I know that the teachers are the front line in the school system …what I am tired of is teachers not getting support from the administrators. What are we going to do about it? These kids are starving for someone to give them guidance. If you’re handcuffing people where they can’t do this what are we going to do? Something’s got to give guys.”
He said his girlfriend’s daughter comes home and says there is a fight every day at the school. “We got to do something guys.”
Several SCS staff members spoke to the board, detailing the violence on the school campus. To illustrate how many teachers and staff members had been affected by violence, SHS teacher Meg Johnson asked the staff to raise their hands “if you have been injured by a student this year, raise your hand. If you have been cursed at by a student raise your hand. If you have had your classroom, office, or workspace disrupted by a student, please raise your hand.”
With each question, more hands went up from the SHS staff members dressed in red t-shirts.
“We must deal with the reality of the situation that is happening at Scotland High School,” Johnson said. “We ask with great respect that the board act immediately on our request for a return to the no-tolerance policy in order that we may start implementing real cultural change at Scotland High School. We love our school, we love our students and we love this county.”
According to the district attorney, zero-tolerance policies are not legal in the state.
In 2011, HB1345 was passed and amended the grounds for suspension or expulsion of a student. The only mandatory expulsion offense is a student having a gun on campus.
Superintendent Takeda LeGrand, following the public comment, talked about a safety plan for the district, which includes facial recognition cameras and additional school resources officers.