Metter High Fight: Fast Action By Teachers & Students
News of a school fight that led to a student being taken into custody caught our attention when a concerned parent sent us this email:
“On Friday, September 12, 2008, three Metter High School teachers were assaulted by a student in the cafeteria. There has been nothing in the local paper and I feel like it is being swept under the rug. The three female teachers were hit by the male student as they were trying to break up a fight. He has been placed in the Claxton Youth Detention Center. Please check into this,” signed a concerned parent.
We went to work to get answers, meeting with the school’s principal today.
Two male students were involved in a verbally and physically aggressive argument at the school last Friday.
John Jordan, Metter High principal, says it ended quickly because of the fast thinking of teachers and other students.
“We had teachers and students concerned about the safety of our school pull together to restrain this child, this student and um again, it shows bravery and it shows courage of those students to really those teachers and those students to really stand in there and take care of the event that happened at that point,” says John Jordan, Metter High School principal.
Jordan says the teachers were hit during the fight, and that such behavior will not be tolerated. The Candler County Sheriff's Department was called. The student was taken into custody, charged and taken to the Claxton Youth Detention Center.
"Some parents, when they hear about this incident, they may be concerned about their student's safety or the safety of the faculty and staff. What do you do here everyday to make sure everyone is safe in the building?” I ask principal Jordan.
“Again, going back to that family atmosphere and that teamwork, everybody trying to help each other, we have teachers that um are on duty and are posted very early in the morning and they are posted throughout the day, throughout you know class changes and at the end of the day to monitor student behavior,” explains Jordan.
The student now faces three possibilities with the judicial review process; either going back to school, attending the district's alternative school, or being expelled.
Statement: Regarding the incident at Metter High School on Friday September 12th, 2008
Unfortunately, Friday morning, September 12th, 2008 we had a student that became verbally and physically aggressive with another student. This type of behavior is not tolerated at Metter High School. The situation was resolved very quickly with minimum injury.
I want to tell you about the type of students and teachers we have here at Metter High School. In some schools when fights begin, the student body aids in the fight by cheering and encouraging the altercation to continue. At Metter High School, once the altercation began, we had teachers and students who cared about keeping a safe learning environment. They acted with bravery and helped diffuse the situation. These teachers and students should be commended for acting with courage. Minimal physical harm was done and no one required medical attention.
I also want to thank the Candler County Sheriff’s Department and the Juvenile Justice System for taking a hard stand and supporting us as we provide a safe learning environment for Metter High School students and staff. The student remains detained in the Juvenile Justice System and upon release will undergo a Judicial Review Process at which time the school system will determine his educational placement.
John Jordan-Metter High School Principal
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