At one high school in Massachusetts, the prevalence of violence and drug use has escalated to the point where school administrators have now requested that Governor Maura Healey deploy the Massachusetts National Guard to the location.
Four out of seven members of the Brockton School Committee were in favor of requesting National Guard service. Notwithstanding his personal dissent, the committee head, Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan, transmitted the request to the governor.
“We’re not asking them to deploy a whole army to our school. We’re asking for support.” Committee member Ana Oliver remarked during a Monday news conference.
“If you support safety in our schools, you will support the National Guard to come in here and keep our schools safe,” fellow member Tony Rodrigues continued.
“Over the past few months, our high school has experienced a disturbing increase in incidents related to violence, security concerns, and substance abuse. The situation has reached a critical point, more recently we had an alarming 35 teachers absent, underscoring the severity of the challenges we are facing. … There are many instances where trespassers are found on school grounds, raising serious questions about the security and safety measures in place. These situations not only put the students and staff at risk but also undermines the overall safety of our community.” four of the committee members wrote in an alarming letter.
“This isn’t something that [is] negative. The National Guard does bring positivity. We’re looking for support with the National Guard to come in and act as substitute teachers (and) hall monitors to make sure that the high school is safe.” committee member Tony Rodrigues added during the press conference.
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