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Seeing children, particularly urban children, in the clutches of the juvenile justice system has become so passe that it's become acceptable to call in city law enforcement to respond to mischief. Case in point: Kids at Perspectives Charter, a school in Chicago, were arrested and are now facing charges for engaging in a cafeteria food fight:
More than two dozen students were slapped with criminal charges in connection with a food fight in the cafeteria at a Chicago charter school. Police arrested 25 students, ranging in age from 11 to 15, after a food fight broke out in the cafeteria Thursday.
"The next thing you know I saw a tray fly up in the air, and then I saw an orange fly," student Jordan Grevious said. 'Then, I heard the words, 'food fight.'" Source: 'Food Fight at Perspectives Charter School Results in Several Kids' Arrests,' cbs2chicago.com
It must have been a chaotic, unsafe scene. In my day, though, students involved would have only been suspended or even expelled. Parents would have been contacted and consequences would have ensued. However, in this case, all 25 kids, even one who says she was just helping another student get up, were rounded up and hauled off to the police station. Perspectives Charter didn't even bother to contact the parents first.
The incident injured about three students. Student Porche Carter says she tried to help one of them but was arrested and handcuffed. "That felt like embarrassing," she said.
Some students say a staff member belittled them, calling them "animals," then police hauled them off. They stayed at the 6th District Chicago police station for hours before parents say they were notified. "He's been sitting here from 12 until 5," parent Keith Holmes said. "They wouldn't let him call -- obvious they wouldn't." Source: 'Food Fight at Perspectives Charter School Results in Several Kids' Arrests,' cbs2chicago.com
Now, these kids are in "the system." Whenever they fill out a job or college application they'll have to state that they were arrested. It's this stain on their records that has Perspective Charter school parents mad and poised to take action.
Even the innocent students will face lasting consequences. If the charges are dropped, juvenile records can't be expunged until the accused becomes 17. Parents are worried this could affect future jobs and college applications. Source
I think the arrest of 25 kids for a cafeteria food fight is extreme.
Comments: (8)
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By: Tiffany on 11/10/2009 6:33PM
Heck yeah it's extreme! While I think that food fights are stupid, it's no reason for them to be arrested and put into the system.
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By: KIKI on 11/10/2009 6:33PM
You would think it is but with so much going on these days, kids are eager to pull out a gun at the drop of a dime, what if someone decided to get that serious. they brought alot of this upon themselves with the way they been acting, you can't take anything for granted anymore
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By: paul on 11/10/2009 5:58PM
Those same parents that complain about getting police involved would be suing the school if they tried to discipline these kids themselves. The whole problem with schools these days is that the kids don't get disciplined at home, and the school's hands are tied. If kids are going to act like criminals in their homes it's one thing, but if they do it in school then why not get the cops involved? That's why we have cops - to deal with criminals.
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By: midbluehungry on 11/11/2009 7:43AM
Aye yi yi... you people are something else.
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By: Mia P on 11/11/2009 7:50PM
I think those teacher should be ashame of themself putting them kids in jail for a stupid food fight and now they will have records. Everytime Black kids do something they go to jail shame shame shame, and I bet it did not take the police long to put them kids in jail but when people need them to put the bad people in jail like that man that killed all them women where were they.
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By: Gregg on 11/11/2009 10:16PM
As an educator of K-8th grade students I can testify that this type of behavior needed to be addressed. One of the most pressing problems with schools today is the lack of discipline and it is because of the lack of discipline that thousands of teachers are leaving the education field as we speak. As of now, the USA needs half a million teachers and they cannot pay individuals enough to teach.
Why? It is due to the extreme violent behavior and the lack of respect for authority, rules, and limits that children display. Self regulation starts at home and being that these kids were all pre teens and teenagers they knew better. Three students were injured and who knows how this situation would have escalated if the police did not intervene.
Do you all think that the teachers perhaps did not try to stop the kids before they realized they would have to call the police? Do you all think the students who were bold enough to throw food and trays would have stopped for a teacher?
If these kids had any respect for their teachers they would not have started this savage behavior in the first place. It is shameful that some of you are defending this behavior and with many kids throughout the world going hungry you have these ignorant bunch of children here in the USA who think food is a projectile to be thrown.
Anyone who wants to claim that schools are being too hard on kids I dare any of you to teach in an overcrowded urban or rural school district. Lets see how some of you feel after you have been cursed out by a 7 year old, hit by a 12 year old, threatened by a 9 year old, your money stolen, your property vandalized, and etc. Then lets see if you all still want to complain about how hard the schools are on these "poor and innocent" kids. Parents need to be held accountable and if the parents were doing their job then this type of behavior would not occur on this level.
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By: Tired of Poor ME attitude on 11/12/2009 3:51PM
Parents who send their kids to Charter Schools are expecting the education and environment to be BETTER than that in Public schools. When kids act like they are in a Public School they need to be disciplined swiftly and severely to discourage bad behavior. They DID act like Animals. Carmen Dixon is an idiot, if a bunch of kids did this at her house or her place of work she would have a meltdown. Their records will be cleared when they get to be 21.
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By: JackB on 11/15/2009 6:59PM
It was an extreme reaction; however, what other choice do schools have? They can't intervene themselves, and parents are mostly to blame for that.
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