VSP says BFA hindered police investigation

[Henry]

WCAX Channel 3 News reported tonight on the 6 pm news:

A fight on school grounds led to a fight between state police and school officials.
 
Police say two girls got into a fight in the lobby at BFA in Fairfax. Police found out there was surveillance video, but the school refused to hand over a copy.
 
Police got a search warrant and got the video.
 
Both students face charges of disorderly conduct. Their names were not released.

[7F24]

I wonder who they were trying to protect.

[mirjo]

A girl fight got so out of hand that the police had to be called? For real? That's both sad and funny on many levels. I remember a time when there were at least a couple of teachers at BFA who weren't afraid to set kids straight and would have likely stepped in and grabbed these two by the nape of the neck and sat them down hard on their derrieres.

I've subbed in the HS and I can't imagine anyone bad-a** enough that would require a VSP intervention. Fortunately, no one was injured--at least none reported.

[mirjo]

I wonder who they were trying to protect.

Probably a confidentiality thing or else they really didn't intend for anyone to be charged and were just trying to make a point or something. Seriously, I find it a little hard to believe that a couple of teenage girls (most of which are about the size of a Q-tip) were going at it so bad that the school needed back-up. Especially this school, which is over the top in student support for "processing" and contemplation of their actions as a means of discipline (and escape from class whenever they just don't want to be there)

[vtoutdoorguymb]

I would imagine one of the parents kids called the cops after? anyone know for sure?

[7F24]

I don't get the "confidentiality" idea.  This was in a hallway in a public building. 

[formerfairfaxion]

I agree with you Mirjo. Unfortunately in this day & age, teachers have no authority. If they touch a student parents come running to defend their kids, lodge a complaint against the teacher, and call their attorney to file a lawsuit.
When I got in trouble at school the last thing I wanted was for my parents to find out. In those days parents sided with the teacher and you were not only in trouble at school but suffered consequences at home as well.
Is it any wonder that our society is full of people who refuse to accept responsibility for their actions?

[katrinaantonovich]

Burlington Free Press today had an article on this - and it said the incident happened at BFA St. Albans.

[monte198]

I would like to know who called for assistance in the matter.  School or parent after the alleged assault.  Why would the school hinder the investigation if they made the intital complaint especially if it happened in a public building with security footage.  Were they trying to hide something???.  BfA St.albans is covered by a school resource officer from st. albans city pd.  I have always wondered why the fairfax has not applied for a school resource officer grant.  From what i have gathered the grant is mostly free.  Richford has applied for the grant and both Enosburg and St. Albans have a resource officer.

[slpott]

Not to get so far off the subject but I would think that if parents know dope smoking is taking place daily in the parking lot we could certainly use one of these officers. At least it would not be taking place at school. Very sad.

[mirjo]

I believe it was at BFA-Fairfax, but I don't know who called the police or why. I don't know what the fight was over, possibly a boy--it still happens. Girls can get really nasty over ridiculous things & perceived slights.

Pot has been an issue here forever. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. There is nothing to do in this town and getting high has been a pastime for many kids for many years--even "good" kids. While there is a greater influx of harder drugs and Rx meds in the area now more than there ever used to be, which is scary in itself; the basic premise of kids smoking pot is not new to this group or the ones from a few years ago or before that.

While I agree, it shouldn't be happening in the school parking lot, it will happen regardless of the location. A kid who wants to get high before school will do it one way or other. I knew plenty who did. And that was awhile ago. Teens are not much different than they ever have been, they just have more expensive gadgets to get bored with that much faster. That's what's sad. The rest is fairly status quo as far as teens go.

 

[ASDuling]

I think there were two different fights, one of 2 boys at St. Albans that was in the Free Press, and the one Henry mentioned at the beginning of this thread, which I haven't seen any press on, but haven't really been looking.

As I recall fights were pretty frequent the last couple weeks of school. Kids are restless, the summer vacation is so close, and finals are tense. And sometimes it doesn't take much to set off a teenager.  We had at least 3 fights a week at the end of the year, but again, teachers were able to step in and break it up. Parents were called, punishments within the school, but police were never involved.

[Henry]

The Burlington Free Press added the following note to a corrected story on this:

(Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the fight was at a different school, and that the students were boys.)

[Stand Alone Defense]

When I was in school fights were a weekly occurrence, I can not once ever remember the cops having to be called though.  From what I hear from my younger siblings though fights are a very rare thing now. My brother that graduated last year told me that in the 4 years he was at BFA he doesn't remember 1 fight ever happening.  That's a good thing to fighting puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the students in my opinion.

[mkr]

Too bad they have to call the cops... There were many fights/spats when I went to BFA Fairfax (Usually at the covered bridge after school) and were usually girl/boy troubles or someone was running their mouth about the other.

Fortunately we had Mr. Brown and Mr. Machia who would break up fights and get them to work it out.  I am not saying fighting is OK, but calling the cops & kids getting a record, seems so not necessary. 

I am guessing maybe a parent called the cops.  Wouldn't it have been more proper to have the girls & parents meet at the school with the principal; work it out and have the girls work together on something as a punishment.  Wouldn't this have resolved the conflict instead of making it into something worse?  If one of them was seriously injured, I guess I would feel differently, but teaching them conflict resolution is by far a more positive way...... If a lawsuit comes out of it, we will know why the cops were called...