[BHS Etree] ADMIN: This Afternoon's Events

[BHS etree]

Dear BHS Families:

 

We wanted to let our community know what we know about what happened this
afternoon after dismissal. 

 

At around 3:50 p.m., sizable crowds, at times anywhere from 200-400, formed
in the downtown area. 

 

A significant number of BPD officers and BHS staff members followed the
crowd up Kittredge to Shattuck and Allston.  Staff immediately became
concerned with the fact that although the majority of students on the scene
were BHS students, a good number of the young people present were not
recognized as BHS students. 

 

After closely monitoring the situation for several minutes, BPD and BHS
staff carefully began to disperse and thin the crowd.

 

Fortunately we have no serious injuries to report, but we do know that
later, at approximately 6 p.m., a BHS student was pepper-sprayed near
Shattuck Avenue, treated by paramedics, and released to family. While that
student's injuries were not serious in the physical sense, the situation is
most serious and that issue is being investigated as well. 

 

We are deeply concerned by the fact that smaller pockets of this crowd
remained in the area until around 7 p.m. and required BPD response well
after school hours.

 

BPD has in fact detained a few individuals though whether or not they are
BHS students is still being confirmed. 

 

We are currently investigating and discussing this matter with law
enforcement, partners at neighboring schools, and our administrative and
safety teams at BHS. There are several names, photos, video clips, and other
reports that may help us understand more clearly what occurred when things
are pieced together.

 

Unlike last week's water incidents which started playfully and ended up
being dangerous by virtue of exuberance and poor judgment (running in the
streets, etc.) there was clearly a more unpleasant tension underlying this
afternoon's events; a tension that could stem from issues originating within
the community, or from issues between students in our community and kids
from other communities. 

 

We are responding to those concerns by meeting with law enforcement Monday,
making direct connections and communications with kids early next week,
increasing supervisory staffing for the week, and continuing to investigate
the particulars of today to gain additional information and perspective. 

 

As our parent partners we are depending on you to speak with your students
this weekend and to emphasize how important it is to avoid these crowd
situations whenever and wherever they might occur. 

 

Large crowds, particularly those that form in anticipation of physical
conflict, should always be avoided. The potential for those crowd dynamics
to turn dangerous, even for those onlookers not in any way involved, is
substantial and we should be encouraging kids to stay as far away from those
situations as possible.

 

Again, while we are fortunate tonight to report only a few minor injuries,
we will be absolutely vigilant in working with our staff and law enforcement
partners to prevent any further incidents.

 

As always we will keep you informed of any additional concerns and any
relevant details that emerge as our investigation continues.

 

Please know that we see creating a safe and secure learning environment as
our top priority; it is both our chief responsibility as a school community
and an essential precursor for the learning and creativity we hope to
inspire in our students.

 

Respectfully, 

 

Pasquale Scuderi

Principal

Berkeley High School

 

__________________________________

Marguerite Fa-Kaji and Catherine Ference are the parent-volunteer
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http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/

 

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