Dear Editor,
I am writing to decry the escalating violence and deteriorating safety at Culver City High School and Culver City Middle School.
At the high school, in particular, there are fights daily. Many of these fights are recorded by students and posted on Instagram. Some of these videos show groups of students violently assaulting a single individual.
Parents and students contend that there is a lack of both discipline and school security. Instead of being suspended and/or expelled for fighting or possession of drugs on campus, students are referred to “restorative justice” i.e. sitting in circles to discuss their behavior.
An example of how dangerous activity is currently being handled comes from an incident that occurred at the middle school in early January. According to several parents and students in their written and verbal statements:
“A middle school student pulled a camouflage-colored airsoft rifle out of his backpack and began yelling and shooting the rifle into the air. The student then pointed the rifle at other students who fled the area.”
The student who fired the firearm was not suspended or expelled. He was in class the next day. This is despite very strict federal and state laws that require an immediate one year expulsion for firearms on campus under the federal Gun Free Schools Act. Airsoft guns fire BB’s and are considered firearms under California law.
When the schools become dangerous, it should be concerning not just to parents, but to the entire community. It is time to hold the superintendent and the CCUSD school board accountable for what is going on at the middle school and high school.
Carolyn B. Libuser
