[StBernard] Students arrested after Chalmette H.S. fight

[Westley Annis]

Students arrested after Chalmette H.S. fight

Monica Hernandez, 10:47 p.m. CDT October 9, 2014
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(Photo: WWLTV)

CHALMETTE, La. - Cell phone video shows students throwing punches and others
scrambling to get away last week at Chalmette High School.

The seven students involved were suspended for up to five days, said St.
Bernard Public Schools assistant superintendent Beverly Lawrason.

But when the students returned to school Thursday, they learned their
punishment is far from over.

"An officer at the school called my phone, gave me a time limit to bring my
son to the sheriff's office because a warrant had been issued for his
arrest," said Lakisha Miller, whose son is among the seven students issued
arrest warrants Thursday related to the fight.

The students are facing charges of simple battery, disturbing the peace and
intimidation at school, according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's
Office. Five of the students are 17 years old and will be charged as adults.

The fight happened in front of the school just after dismissal, around 2:30
p.m. last Wednesday, according to Lawrason. The fight wasn't "a big free for
all," said Lawrason, and didn't involve injuries or weapons. She said
teachers were able to break it up relatively quickly.

When one of two school resource officers arrived, the fight was over and
some of the students were already on the school bus, said St. Bernard Parish
Sheriff's Office Col. John Doran.

After looking at cell phone video, talking to teachers and considering the
students' "history" of tension with each other, the St. Bernard Parish
Sheriff's Office decided to issue warrants for the students' arrest, said
Doran.

"Based on the severity of the incident, it wasn't just a one-on-one fight.
It was seven involved," said Doran. "What we're trying to avert is this
situation escalating into a larger fight or into a bigger group and someone
getting seriously injured."

Around this same time last year, multiple students were involved in an even
larger fight at Chalmette High. Since then, the sheriff's office staffed the
school with two on-duty deputies who serve as school resource officers.

Now, deputies are trying to prevent a similar scuffle. But parents and the
local NAACP allege there are racial disparities in the way kids are being
punished.

"The white kids that were involved in a fight two weeks ago, they just were
suspended for five days, and these kids get suspended, go back to school
today and then get warrants for their arrest," said Miller.

"I think it's ridiculous to say that. Our job is to ensure the safety of all
students at that school," Doran said. "I'm not aware of any incidents
involving you know, any students white or black, that were suspended and not
arrested."

"This ain't over after today. We're still going to investigate after this
day, why this happened to those kids," said Rev. Kevin Gabriel, president of
the St. Bernard Parish chapter of the NAACP.

The sheriff's office' main concern is making sure all students are safe,
regardless of race, said Doran.

The NAACP is calling for the charges to be dropped.

The sheriff's office says some of the students involved had been to meetings
and counseling to deal with escalating tension before this fight.