Principal Jeffrey Hearn used the following "incident recap" in January 1997 in response to an assault by some Latino gang members against a smaller group of Black students at Santa Maria (Calif.) High School. Tensions had escalated the day after the assault, when Black students vented their frustration about other acts of harassment, as well.
"Our idea was to make sure that all the information that went out was accurate," says Hearn, "to make ourselves accessible, and to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to be part of the solution. At the emergency meeting for faculty and staff early that morning, everyone liked having their own copies [of the incident recap], so we decided to duplicate it so every kid had one in hand during discussions in first-hour classes. We had decided to set aside what we were doing and deal with what we felt was far more important, and that seemed to work really well."
Santa Maria High School experienced an unfortunate situation on our campus that is, sadly, all too often seen in our society - ethnic tensions among students. As a California Distinguished School, we pride ourselves on making every effort to provide all students a safe and positive learning environment. We view this incident as an opportunity to address with our students the need for mutual tolerance and respect. We would like to clarify the incidents that occurred over the last two days.
At the end of lunch on Wednesday, January 29, 1997, two students at Santa Maria High School verbally assaulted each other about the possession of a cassette tape. The confrontation accelerated to the point that several Black students were physically assaulted by a group of Hispanic students who allegedly are members of a gang. Upon the initial investigation by the Santa Maria High School administration and Santa Maria Police Department, four students were arrested and suspended pending pre-expulsion hearings. The investigation continues. It appears that this incident prompted the events that took place during lunch on January 30.
During lunch on Thursday, January 30, 1997, there was a small gathering of angry, frustrated students, some of whom were involved in the January 29 incident. Their frustration and anger centered around the intolerance and intimidation they have experienced from other students.
No students were assaulted or injured on January 30. Through the efforts of the Santa Maria Police Department and the Santa Maria High School administration, security, staff and students, the situation was defused. A meeting with involved students and parents took place with efforts focused on identifying possible solutions to address their frustrations.
As a result of this meeting, the following will be implemented:
1. An emergency staff meeting will be held Friday morning, January 31, 1997, at 7 a.m. to inform the staff of the events that occurred during the last two days. Their assistance will be sought to monitor students before and after school, at lunch and break. They also will be asked to address harassment and intimidation with their students in the classroom.
2. A "we-tip" program was established in the Community Services Center (phone #), in which students and parents can call and anonymously report incidents of intimidation. In addition, a drop box is also available outside the Community Services Center for reporting these incidents.
3. Parents were encouraged to attend the Parent-Teacher-Student Club to explore ways we, as a school community, can positively address this issue further. The next meeting will be on Monday, February 3, 1997, at 7 p.m. in the library.
4. Areas where large groups of students congregate will continue to be closely monitored by staff.
5. In our continuing effort to access student opinions, all methods of actively involving students in addressing this problem on campus will be explored.
6. Our staff will actively engage students in discussing positive strategies to deal with cultural and racial diversity.