LORAIN, Ohio — Two Lorain middle school teachers remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation into allegations that two veteran teachers may have encouraged two students to fight during a May 9 incident and then mocked the combatants after the fight had been broken up.
The president of the Lorain Education Association has fired back, alleging that Lorain City Schools has made the teachers out to be scapegoats for the district’s own shortcomings in providing teachers guidance and training on how to handle in-school fights.
In a news release issued Wednesday, officials from Lorain City Schools said that district authorities were continuing to follow up on student allegations that two educators encouraged students to fight on the afternoon of May 9 during a break between classes. The district released a small tranche of surveillance and cell phone video showing the altercation. The two educators have remained on paid leave since May 11.
The school surveillance videos, which do not have sound, show two students becoming increasingly agitated before both boys remove their hoodies and get into a fighting position. One of the teachers accused of egging the fight on, appears to hold one of the students back with his arm. Additionally, in cell phone video captured of the incident, someone can be heard yelling ‘let them, let them!’ as the students began to fight. It is unclear who was yelling.
“Lorain City Schools is entrusted to provide safe, caring environments for our students, staff, and all who enter our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham. “Although we’re still engaged in due process, I really struggle with what I’ve seen in these videos, and I want to make it clear that anyone who violates our promise to take care of the children of Lorain is unwelcome here in our district.”
As the students begin to fight, one of the teachers who placed on paid leave appears to throw his hands up in the air in a show of frustration before the students begin to trade blows. The male teacher then places his arms around his back. Meanwhile, the two students trade punches and ultimately push each other into some nearby lockers.
At this point, the entire incident, which spanned less than a minute, ends as other teachers and administrators run and break the students up. A few minutes after the students were separated, a female teacher can be seen on school security video pretending to be a boxing referee at the opening bell. Another video released by the school district shows both the male and female teacher appearing to joke about the incident and, according to the district, mock the students involved.
Julie Garcia, the president of the Lorain Education Association (LEA), said she was disappointed to see the district portray the two educators in the way that they have before their personnel cases have been resolved. In addition to being fully cooperative in the investigation, Garcia said the two veteran teachers have been made to be scapegoats for the district’s own lack of guidance and training when it comes to how to best intervene when students are fighting.
“The problem is that we don’t have that training. We’re not sure what it is that we’re exactly expected to do,” Garcia said. “We would be concerned that if something were to happen to a child when we are trying to break up a fight. We don’t want to be disciplined for that either. It’s almost a double-edged sword.”
Garcia said staff members that should intervene in a physical altercation need specialized crisis prevention and intervention training, which is currently standard for special education instructors. However, that instruction has not been provided other educators.
“There hasn’t been any formal training or guidance about how to deal with a situation when a fight arises with students,” Garcia said.
A Lorain City Schools spokesperson declined to comment on what specific policies the teachers are accused of running afoul of. Board of education policies are also unclear on what a teacher’s ‘duty to intervene’ may be.
The students were not injured in the fight.
