JOLIET, IL — About 15 people including several angry parents of Joliet Central and Joliet West students addressed the District school board at Monday night's special meeting, saying the upper administration's soft stance on school fighting, weapons inside the school buildings and bullying has led to a school year of out of control chaos for students.
School board president Frank Edmon reminded everyone who spoke during Monday's 7 p. The board does not respond to comments from the audience.
Nonetheless, speaker after speaker approached the podium to give the board an earful in regard to the current school year's out of control violence. Last Friday, long time Joliet West High School Principal Teresa Gibson was attacked by several of her own students as she tried to break up a brawl inside her building on Larkin Avenue.
The attack on Gibson drew widespread coverage across social media and prompted second-year superintendent Karla Guseman to issue a statement to parents and students on Saturday. Guseman alerted families across District that school violence is not acceptable and that harsher consequences would result from future fights including punishment for students who gather around fights to post videos to social media. Here's a rundown from some of the comments made by audience members who addressed the District school board during Monday night's meeting:.
Parent of Joliet West High School senior: "I'm here to express my deep concern and anger regarding the lack of consistent and effective discipline in our high schools. I've been upset about this issue for a long time and with my son being a senior at Joliet West, I fear for his safety in the current school environment. Both campuses have experienced escalating violence and rule-breaking this school year.
As a former employee, I know that fighting, drugs and inappropriate sexual activity has occurred over many years. However, this year, these seem to be even more frequent and the fighting more violent than in the past. What is even more concerning is that neither the individuals perpetrating these acts nor their parents are experiencing consequences that will discourage them from doing these things in the future. Parent of Joliet West High School sophomore. I am a product of the public school system.
I went to grade school and middle school in District I'm a high school graduate of Joliet Central. I had amazing teachers throughout my education, and I always felt safe in my school environment. These are a few of the reasons why my husband and I chose to send our daughter to Joliet West. Our son is in eighth grade this year, and I can honestly tell you at this point, I'm not sure that we will make that same decision for him.
School is the one place that a child should feel safe I'm here to tell you that my daughter does not feel safe walking the halls of Joliet West, and I am not OK with that. From what I'm hearing, the teachers do not feel safe in their work environment, and I can't blame them. The videos of the violence in our schools sickens me and causes me to be fearful for my daughter's safety, my nieces' safety, the safety of all the students and staff.
I'm absolutely appalled that it took Dr. Gibson being battered for Karla Guseman to send out an email to the parents and students about consequences of continued violence in the schools District said since the beginning of the school year, 80 students have been involved in altercations.
Some led to arrests, others suspensions. The school board held a special meeting Tuesday night, at which worried parents and staff were given the opportunity to let the board hear it. The board did not respond to any of the public comment tonight.
Along with those who participate in the fights, the superintendent also put students who record the fights on notice — saying they will also be held responsible. Students engaging in this behavior are making an unsafe situation even more dangerous. This will not be tolerated," Guseman explained. In fatal shooting, some political foes take aim at Baldwin.
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