High School Students Forced To Hold Hands As Punishment For Fighting

[Lavish]

A first-year principal in Mesa, Ariz., has been thrown into the spotlight for employing a controversial -- yet apparently effective -- method of student discipline.

When two Westwood High School students got in a fist fight during class this week, Principal Tim Richards gave the teens an choice: suspension or public humiliation -- by sitting next to each other holding hands in the school courtyard.

The students chose the latter, hanging their heads as peers watched and taunted them from all sides. Westwood students found the stunt funny.

"Kids were laughing at them and calling them names asking, 'Are you gay?'" student Brittney Smyers told ABC 15.

Photos of the freshman and sophomore hand-in-hand gained attention online, drawing praise from some who called the punishment effective. Charles Crockett, 14, one of the boys involved in the tussle, admitted to KPHO that he won't fight again. And while the punishment only lasted an hour, Charles says he skipped school the next day because the teasing became unbearable.

But critics say that the punishment encourages bullying, allowing students to publicly taunt the teens. Others have suggested that it sends a negative message about gay students by asserting that two males holding hands is an embarrassent.

KPHO reports that a sign near the school reads "Westwood neighborhood supports Principal Richard," but the district isn't standing behind the principal's move. District officials have released a statement, which reads in part:

The district does not condone the choice of in-school discipline given these students, regardless of their acceptance or willingness to participate. District leadership will address this matter with the school principal, and review district protocol regarding student discipline with all administrators.

A disciplinary move at a Michigan school similarly attracted criticism earlier this month. McLeod Bethune Elementary-Middle School Principal Antoinette Pearson decided to stop serving lunch after a food fight broke out among 175 students in the cafeteria.

The punishment was quickly rescinded for violating state lunch program regulations.

video-Video - CBS 5 - KPHO


:haha:

 

[ThugLife]

Why would they agree to this?

 

[AAKing23]

Why would they agree to this?

Looks like them nikkas liked that on the low




BTW why would the principal suggest this anyway?

 

[HookersandIceCream]

Wonder what they were fighting about

 

[Turbulent]

what if one of them agrees and the other chooses the suspension?

also, why wouldn't you choose a suspension?? whole story is dumb.

 

[FaTaL]

Fabolous!

 

[Pammy91]

 

[LesterDiamond]

I'm that's actually my old HS too

 

[MegaTronBomb!]

This is how you know fathers aint around...

any respect you would've got from said fade...is now negated cause you did some bytch shyt like this.

shyt, it's better to get in a fight, lose and get suspended than this holding hands shyt.

He been studying Joe Arpaio, making inmates wear pink n shyt.

 

[DarlingNikki]

Wish this was an option, I woulda held hands with a bytch I dropped in school. And my parents wouldn't have known, avoid all consequences.

Let the laughing fags know they were next.

 

[Lavish]

Wish this was an option, I woulda held hands with a bytch I dropped in school. And my parents wouldn't have known, avoid all consequences.

Let the laughing fags know they were next.

You think these kids parents didnt find out?

Mayne id even rather my parents get to whoopin on me then do that sh!t...



:haha:@ the sounds of laughter in the video

 

[Taadow]

This is some ol' school chit. lol

They used to make us do this in pre-school. And if I had a fight with my sisters or cousins, mama made us do this...but she would make us have to kiss each other on the cheek, too!

 

[Mowgli]

White people hate discipline.

 

[newworldafro]

Principals get it from all sides. Like for instance with that example in the article about 175 students fighting???? If she had suspended all 175 students she would have been called draconian educator and would be notorious for years for suspending that many students.....so what is she supposed to do???

 

[Metta World Movement]

LOL.....this reminds me of