After teaching students with behavioral and emotional disorders for over 20 years, I am writing to provide my insight into the situation described in the article “School melee puts officer in hospital” in the Thursday Advocate.
Although I was primarily tasked with the academic and behavioral instruction of students K-12 diagnosed with behavioral and emotional disorders negatively impacting their academic progress, I observed students without active Individual Education Plans but exhibiting similar behavioral challenges. While I could write a book about my experience, I will limit this letter to the statement that officers used “excessive force.”
Police officers were sent to the school after school-based strategies were unsuccessful and crowd numbers, close to 200, exceeded the total student school population of 175. This presented a potentially violent situation that was beyond the expectation of the limited police force sent to prevent an escalation of violence. Based on my experience, prior to police intervention, school faculty and staff had implemented multiple strategies to bring the behavior of the crowd under control.
Officers had to act quickly to prevent injuries. Facing violent students and people without permission to be on campus, officers did not have the option to be gentle or selective with those in this violent group. People had the option to remove themselves from the area occupied by the violent crowd; by not doing so, they became supportive of the violence and subject to police action.
I believe that we should support those working to provide a safe learning environment for our students.
SULYNN SEXTON
Prairieville
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