AMHERST — A fight at Amherst Regional High School on a recent morning injured a student, prompting a response from medical professionals to evaluate the possibly unconscious individual.
That March 21 altercation was, according to a letter sent to parents and guardians the following dayby Principal Talib Sadiq, one of a growing number of disturbances this school year, with some occurring in hallways or bathrooms, and at times when students should be in their classrooms.
“Fights have increased this year over the number of fights in the years before the pandemic,” Sadiq wrote in the communication. “We are being told that most of these conflicts start with some ‘disrespectful’ social media posts, and we have been shown screenshots of outrageous conversations between students and videos of the fights that often ensue.”
Following that late March letter, and with the concerning behavior not yet abating, Sadiq on Friday wrote again to families spelling out a series of policy changes being made to address reported fears about using bathrooms and discomfort in walking the hallways.
In addition to the fights, there have been concerns, Sadiq wrote, about some students “vaping nicotine, smoking marijuana, or filming the bathrooms being vandalized.”
The revised policies include putting limitations on use of electronic devices by students, including prohibiting them from taking their cellphones with them when using bathrooms and specifying that they cannot photograph or record others without permission. There is also a crackdown on time students spend outside classrooms, with penalties for being tardy if they are gone for 10 minutes without permission and for being absent if they are gone 20 minutes without permission.
“We know that these shifts alone will not magically fix all of the issues we are dealing with; however, we are hopeful that, by working together, we can move students’ focus away from the social scene and more towards academics,” Sadiq wrote.
Another concerning aspect of the problem for school officials is that cellphones are being used by some students to record fights and then circulate the videos. Talib calls that disheartening” because those students are not trying to defuse the situation or call for help.
The increase in fighting has also been brought to the attention of Amherst police.
Police Chief Scott Livingstone said that five parents whose children have been victims of alleged assaults have contacted his department requesting police involvement and investigation.
“The investigations are ongoing at this time,” Livingstone said.
Ruby Cain, a high school senior who serves as the student representative to the Amherst Regional School Committee, wrote in an email that she understands where the school administration is coming from, due to fights that started over social media, as well as the long-running issue of bathroom damage that she recalls being an issue when she was a freshman.
But Cain said the new rules, presented Monday and Tuesday at assemblies, appear to be contradictory.
“When they tell us that we get marked tardy for 10 minutes in the hallway, but that some bathrooms are closing, and only two people will be allowed to use them at a time, it is frustrating,” Cain wrote. “I wish that the administration got more student input before implementing these changes.”
Cain notes that the fighting is specific to some students. “I haven’t been affected by the fights, and I don’t think that it is worse than any other high school. The drug use and fighting is due to a couple of select individuals.”
She also praised Sadiq’s correspondence to make families aware of the situation. “I think Mr. Sadiq is courageous for bringing this to the public’s attention,” Cain said.
Phoebe Gibson, a senior, wrote in an email that there has been a disconnect between the administration and students, and that the latest actions don’t show support or care for students.
“I feel like public school is taking a tremendous step backwards,” Gibson stated. “Filming fights is a very new age issue. If you don’t want people to film fights, do something to make them not want to fight.”
In addition to the cellphone use policy, Gibson worries that the bathroom policies are disrespectful and take away freedoms for students, some of whom, like herself, are old enough to vote and to drive.
“My takeaway from this school assembly and new rules is a feeling that I have had many times before,” Gibson wrote. “Performative. Now they can say that they did something to address the fighting, the phone usage, the class skipping.”
Sadiq’s letters note that preventing fights, if possible, is the aim.
“We are striving to defuse situations among students, when we know they are brewing, by working directly with the students involved and their families; however, it can be very challenging to determine that a fight is about to happen before it starts. As a result, we must often deal with the aftermath of a fight rather than intervene preemptively.”