LAURINBURG — Jarring video of violent fights breaking out at Scotland High School in recent weeks did more than what words could accomplish for one local resident during the public comment period of the Scotland County Board of Education meeting on Monday night.

Meg Johnson of Laurinburg shared the videos she found on Instagram, telling the board members, “They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’m going to present to you my thousand-word essay on violence at Scotland High School.”

Her presentation followed comments from other residents, parents, teachers and former teachers expressing ongoing concerns about fights and violence and their impact on student and staff safety, learning disruption, and teacher retention.

Cassandra Houde, an agriculture teacher and advisor to Future Farmers of America students, resigned from her position after 15 months. In coming to that “hard decision,” she told the board about events on November 16th that led her to take such action.

“When monitoring in the common area, a fight breaks out right in front of you; not just between two students but between 10 to 15 students with dozens more cheering and recording,” Houde said, adding that she observed fellow teachers getting kicked, punched, and shoved as well as receiving verbal abuse and a student whose head was kicked “Like it was a soccer ball.”

Noting the incident was brought under control quickly, she went on to describe another fight breaking out in the cafeteria just ten minutes later.

“There is not security available because they are already dealing with trespassers that were on campus,” Houde continued. “Once again you watch your colleagues get punched, kicked, and shoved. You try to calm your students down but they are in a rage and end up assaulting you as well. You’re forcefully shoved to the side so the fight can continue. You feel scared, helpless, and powerless as you watch the fight being broken up again.”

Houde estimated that at least seven teachers and staff were physically assaulted that day.

“We are traumatizing our students who are just trying to come to school to learn. We’re traumatizing our teachers who fear for the safety of themselves and for their students. We are traumatizing our parents who worry about sending their child to school every single day,” Houde concluded.

Fellow teacher, Elizabeth Santilli, described multiple fights and assaults she has experienced, along with the need to comfort students who have viewed the altercations.

“It seems what we [safety and discipline committee] are told is our administration’s hands are tied when it comes to discipline actions based on the board’s policies,” Santilli said.

Santilli said there was no communication from administrators regarding a recent incident in which a gun and ammunition were found on campus.

“We heard more about it from students throughout the day, and that is a problem,” she said.

Santilli asked the board to consider “zero tolerance” policies to address the student behavior that is causing teachers and other staff to leave the district.

Neil Smith, of Laurinburg, works for the high school. He is a graduate as well as parent of current students. Smith, a member of the safety committee, told the board he is saddened by what he sees as the school not providing a respectful learning environment where students and teachers can safely perform their tasks.

“It seems as though everywhere we turn there are roadblocks…for holding students accountable whenever their actions become a disruption in school,” Smith said.

Smith said the safety meeting in October included a discussion about students referred to Shaw Academy, an alternative learning facility, who were coming to campus for transportation.

“They, for whatever reason, have been removed from our campus but yet they are still on our campus every morning and every afternoon…that means our staff has to deal with them,” Smith said.

He told the board that the plan for direct transportation of Shaw students to that campus intended to begin after Thanksgiving break has still not been implemented.

“If we are told that something is going to change, then is it possible for us to actually see those changes?” he asked.

Smith said he’s observed that other districts were handling similar issues more effectively.

In response to the litany of concerns presented during the public comment portion of the meeting, board chair Rick Singletary asked Superintendent Takeda LeGrand to provide the board with the specific consequences meted out to the students involved in the fights seen in the videos. He also assured those who had spoken that the board takes their concerns seriously.

“We do take under consideration the comments you have made. You may not hear us follow up, but we follow up with the superintendent or whoever needs to hear that,” he said.

Later in the meeting, district attorney Stephen Rawson, answered questions posed by the board about their ability to impose consequences such as “zero tolerance” as mentioned by concerned parents and teachers in this and previous board meetings.

Rawson cited portions of state law related to discipline policy prevents that prevents districts from imposing mandatory long-term punishments. Principals, he said, do have discretion to set behavioral expectations and take individual circumstances into account when determining consequences for rule violations.

In her presentation to the board, LeGrand said the plan to implement dedicated busses and routes to Shaw Academy. “We were really disappointed that it took us at least three weeks to finalize staffing for our bus routes to Shaw,” she said. A temporary driver is available to start the route, she added.

New board sworn-in

Jason Clark was sworn in as a newly elected member of the board and Vicki Jackson, Herman Tyson, and Dr. Summer Woodside were also sworn in as re-elected members. Chair Singletary and Vice Chair Dr. Carolyn Banks were re-elected by the board to their leadership roles.