THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409280119
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Three Churchland High School students have been suspended after fights with racial overtones broke out in the school last week, administrators said.
At least three times, a group of black male students cornered white male students and initiated a fight with them, principal Raymond Hale said. At least two of the incidents occurred in a student restroom.
A white male, confronted shortly before 10:45 a.m. Sept. 22, said 15 to 20 black students threatened him, two of his friends and another youth in a restroom. The student, who asked to remain anonymous, said he fled the restroom as the fight broke out.
In a third incident, minutes after school let out Sept. 23, one or more black students allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old white male in the school bus loading area behind the school. According to a city police report, the white male was knocked unconscious after being struck with a rock about 2:15 p.m.
In a separate incident, a white student suffered minor injuries when a black student allegedly struck him in the head with a trash can. The time and date of that incident was unavailable from school officials.
Principal Hale said some parents have indicated that they might press charges against the offenders. School officials are still trying to identify other students who might have been involved in the fights.
Two security officers and a juvenile detective are assigned to the school, which also installed an electronic surveillance system this year. Hale said video cameras soon will be placed outside student restrooms. Those restrooms now are being monitored more frequently, he said.
``When we have a situation, especially one that concerns student safety, we deal with it,'' Hale said.
To deter such violence, Hale said he would begin to suspend violent students for 10 days - the maximum allowed - and also recommend that they be transferred to the alternative education program.
KEYWORDS: SCHOOL VIOLENCE RACE SUSPENSION by CNB