On the campus of Meridian High School late this week, 11 girls were taken into custody and transported to the Meridian Police Department for fighting.

    The students, according to officials with the MPD, were to be processed and handed over to the Lauderdale County juvenile court system. Their cases, which have not been heard, will likely result in them being placed on parole, officials said.

    It is unclear at this time if the students will be suspended from school but the school policy reads they could be suspended, recommended for alternative placement, or expelled from school. In severe cases the students can be arrested and charged with a crime such as assault.

    It is this policy of the Meridian Public School District — and a strongly-worded memo sent to parents earlier this month about fighting — that has led to some concern for some parents. School officials say they are clamping down on the frequency of fights in all of the schools within the district. Some parents want more to be done. Others said they didn’t like the idea of six graders being handcuffed and hauled into jail for fighting.

    In the memo to parents, signed by Student Services, school officials said “Law enforcement will be notified when any student is involved in a physical altercation (fight) in grades 6-12.”

    The memo further states that when a student’s behavior is considered severe by administrators and/or violates the law, the student will be referred to law enforcement officials.  

    When asked about the language of the memo and if a change of policy had been implemented, interim superintendent Terry Larabee said that the school district was not changing the policy. He said here was no change in terms of adopting a zero tolerance toward fighting in the schools. Instead, he said there is “consistent understanding” between all principals in how they should perceive and implement the policy.

    “I have spoken to all of the principals and told them that if they consider the incident to be severe enough, the police will be called and arrests made,” said Larabee. “We don’t want the students to hear of a fight, see a fight or be in a fight. We want students to have a feeling of safety when they come to school.”

    It is unclear how many students have been arrested or handcuffed and taken away from the school since the March 5 memo was sent out.

    Sitting in her car Friday afternoon to pick up her son who is in the sixth grade at Magnolia Middle School, Christina Pickett said although she doesn’t remember seeing the latest memo that was sent home concerning fighting in MDSD schools, she thinks more can be done. She is one mother who wouldn’t mind seeing police officers in the schools.

    “I think not enough is being done with the way the rules are now,” she said. “There are still fights. I tell my son to always avoid people who are in fights but having a police officer who can arrest someone on the spot and has more power than these security guards would mean more to me.”

    Altovise Thedford agreed. She has a son at Magnolia Middle School as well and she has a brother who is a senior at Meridian High School. She said she hears of all the fights that go on and it deeply concerns her. Her son had to spend a night in the juvenile center because she said he was defending himself.

    “The violence is worse than ever,” said Thedford. “They need to boost the security with policemen. There are gangs in these schools and they target kids like mine.”

    Thedford said some of her friends who have kids in Meridian schools talk about moving into the county so they can go to county schools where they do employ school resource officers from the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department. As for zero tolerance, Thedford said the school district should adopt that mentality. That would, in her opinion, weed out those who don’t want to learn and those who do.

     Magnolia Middle School Principal Jonas Crenshaw said he understands the concerns of the parents. He doesn’t have any objection to an SRO at his school. But he said he also sees improvement since the meeting with Larabee. He said the policy hasn’t changed but instead, the way administrators and other school officials are to handle fighting on campuses.

    “We want the students to know what the repercussions will be if they are caught fighting,” said Crenshaw. “And it is the same all across the district. Have we gotten tougher on fighting? Yes. We are more focused on the issue as a district staff.”

    Crenshaw stated in a memo to his staff recently, “Any student that gets involved in a fight on campus will be arrested!”

    Crenshaw said the statement is meant to convey that fighting, fist fights in particular, would not be tolerated. He said if the altercation involved pushing, shoving and yelling as most “fights” do, then the punishment is up to the discretion of the administrators. But the more severe incidents would be met with absolute penalties.

    “In the last three weeks since meeting with Dr. Larabee, we haven’t had any fights here,” Crenshaw said. “The students understand they will be in trouble in a huge way if they do fight on campus.”

    Some parents, however, think having students arrested isn’t the answer.

    “Scare tactics don’t work,” said a mother of a student at Magnolia who didn’t want to be identified. “I think it’s a shame that you have this new mentality. These aren’t animals; they’re students, children.”

    Larabee said he wants students to feel safe so they can learn.

    “Parents expect us to be good stewards of their children while they are at school and that is what we are trying to do,” he said.

A side-by-side look

Here is a look at the Meridian Public School District policy on fighting and a March 5 memo sent to parents.

MPSD Policy

Section J-Students

Grades K-12

Students who engage in fighting or who are responsible in any way for fighting while under the jurisdiction of the school will be subject to suspension and/or a recommendation for alternative placement/expulsion. If and when the student’s behavior is considered severe by administrators and/or violates the law, the student will be referred to law enforcement.

March 5 memo issued to parents from Student Services:

Please be informed that law enforcement will be notified when any student is involved in a physical altercation (fight) in grades 6-12. Meridian Public School District Section J-Policy JD, states that when a student’s behavior is considered severe by administrators and/or violates the law, the student will be referred to law enforcement officials. We appreciate your support and assistance in creating a school environment that promotes safety and is conducive to learning.