Teachers, staff to protest ‘rising violence’ at high school

By WCVB Staff

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    LAWRENCE, Massachussets (WCVB) — Teachers and staff are planning to protest Monday after a series of fights that at Lawrence High School.

Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez and community members will join teachers to rally outside the high school and stage a “walk-in” just before the morning bell.

“The school department has failed to respond to the social and emotional needs of traumatized students,” said Kimberly Barry, president of the Lawrence Teachers Union. “We can’t just ignore the problems students bring to school with them and jump right back to testing them without any effort to rebuild a school community. They’re kids and we need to invest in staff and services that make them feel valued.”

Witnesses said at least six fights happened in Lawrence High School on Tuesday. One of the fights led to the arrests of two female students, police said.

Another fight on Wednesday led to three additional arrests, police said.

The Lawrence Teachers Union said significant understaffing has “aggravated a challenging back-to-school transition for many students who are struggling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 shut-down.”

Officials in Lawrence have called for an emergency meeting to address violence in the schools and have invited state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley.

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