Rules That Were Supposed to Help But Ended up a Big Fail

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Flooded Halls and Fuming Students

I worked at a high school in LES NYC a few years ago. Was a large school with 3000 students. As a teacher, you realize fights happen. We all know they do, and the best thing to do is make sure those involved are punished and leave it at that.

This was our principal’s first year in the building. She wasn’t a new principal, as in brand new, but she was new to our school. Our school wasn’t horrible, but it was declining.

A fight happens during the first period on the basement floor. Security is called, and those involved are sent to the deans. Whatever happens, no big deal, right?

The principal comes on announcements 2nd period. First, she acknowledges there was a fight, which most already knew about. It’s a high school, after all. Then she says, “No student will be allowed to leave to use the bathroom the rest of the day! Teachers do not allow students to leave to use the bathroom!”

Well, this wasn’t received well. Students decide to flood the halls, yelling and shouting. This happens on all floors (six total). Students refused to go to class and just shouting, yelling, running in the halls. I opened my class for the good kids and got in as many as I could.

Security couldn’t do anything. This went on for 2-3 periods, do this was the prime lunch period. Most of these kids said screw it and just left.

Around 6th period an assembly was held. Those students who remained were put in the auditorium, where they were lectured by the administration. The kids who did nothing wrong, mind you.

Eventually, word gets out to the NY Post that there was a “riot.” It wasn’t but a reporter asking kids you know what’s going to happen?

She turned out to be an awful principal, and after more incidents and bad press, we ran her out within a span of 2 years.