Even the most tranquil, trouble-free high school is rife with change and confusion for teens approaching adulthood. High schools are institutions built to supply their communities with doctors, teachers, public servants and business owners. A student’s high school should be a place of comfort and scholastic exploration. But, when teens are avoiding bathrooms at school for fear of falling prey to assailants and thieves, how much solace and learning is occurring?
Students at West Brook High School are starting to speak out on the abject violence proliferating at their campus. They’re scared to even step inside the wrong bathroom on campus, where some have walked in on ambushes, fight club bouts replete with boxing gloves or even kids dealing drugs. Just ask any West Brook teen you know if they go to the bathroom on campus; they’ll almost invariably say, “No.”
A West Brook senior told The Examiner that campus violence has risen to its worst in his four years, describing it as a microcosm of the show Breaking Bad. A junior attended a Sept. 15 BISD trustee meeting to tell administrators how scared he was to attend school. These students aren’t looking for their 15 seconds of fame – au contraire; they’re actually risking retaliation from the more pugnacious pupils at the school.
While West Brook students seemed open to discuss violence on their campus – administrators proved more reticent. A West Brook senior – braving potential violent backlash – revealed that he’s already seen nearly 40 fight videos from this school year alone. Yet, when The Examiner requested corresponding data, BISD’s attorney said the multi-million-dollar-funded district police don’t have the software capabilities to answer. Campus police couldn’t – or wouldn’t – tell the paper how many criminal referrals it has sent to the local DA.
When the board met Sept. 15 and discussed the district’s disciplinary data, attendees were shown a laughably misleading representation of events. In an effort to paint a more peaceful picture of campus life, administrators compared the number of fights reported to the total district population. While it’s not uncommon for elementary kids to squabble over crayons, their violent transgressions shouldn’t be included in the same discussion as those committed by high schoolers.
Students say West Brook Principal Nicholas Phillips has been silent on the rash of violence – not even commenting on the bloody beat-down. It was only after the video made national news that Phillips issued a Facebook statement – again without a word to students. Less than an hour after the video appeared on national TV, Phillips was at West Brook to check every bathroom to verify if it happened there. Why did he have to scour the campus bathrooms to know whether it happened at his school? Could it be because – as at least one former teacher claims – he rarely patrols his hallways? Could he be more concerned with his trustee position at Nederland ISD and what happens closer to his home there?
While parents should be involved, and the district should accept every willing – and vetted – volunteer who comes to help curb the violent atmosphere, the responsibility of student safety on campus is wholly that of BISD and its administrators. Period.
BISD is responsible for keeping our young learners safe from the time they set foot on a bus or campus to the second they leave – without exception. Anything less should be considered an outright failure by BISD and West Brook administration.
Unfortunately, our students aren’t safe at West Brook High School. And by this principal allowing kids to conduct drug deals, compete in bathroom boxing clubs and simply assault other students for their belongings, he is – in essence – complicit himself. At best, his conduct is recklessly incompetent, and, at worst, should carry criminal or civil consequences.
The Examiner, ever since its inception in 1996, has made it our mission to be the voice of those who are under represented. This is a responsibility we treat with reverence. To that end, we won’t stop fighting – be it through unyielding reporting, taking on legal challenges to secure public information, and tireless championing for a better Beaumont. We’re here for the long haul and are always ready to fight the good fight – to forge a better Beaumont.