'Outrageous' Brawl At Houston High School (VIDEO)

Authorities paid a visit to Dekaney High School in Houston, Tex., after what students called an "outrageous" brawl broke out in the cafeteria, KHOU-TV reports.

"All these people came and just started hitting everybody," student Maya Rodriguez told the station. "After a while, I got hit and everybody just started fighting. So I hit back..."

A student caught the riot on cell phone camera, and told KTRK that students were throwing items like milk cartons in the cafeteria and trash cans in the halls.

Parents told KTRK that they're sick of the violence the school, and blame the "lack of control" by school officials. Dekaney High School principal Delic Lloyd says they are working to fix the problem, the station reports.

"We are working hard to work together and partner with parents and the community to improve the climate of Dekaney High School and to prove the teaching and learning that's taking place here," Lloyd told KTRK.

This incident comes after a police officer used pepper spray to break up a crowd surrounding a separate fight at the school in November, according to a separate report by KHOU.

"It’s horrible, these fights happen every day,” an unidentified mother told the station. A district spokesperson said none was injured by the pepper spray, according to the report.

"This is crazy. This school needs to be closed down," parent Melinda Bradley told KTRK, referring to the most recent cafeteria brawl. "It's really crazy. It needs to be closed down."

Comments

[roninroshi]

10:39 PM on 02/02/2012

Add this to the article on "Low IQ"...the "Lunch Scholars" clip and the educational picture is getting bleaker fast.

[Bee-otch Wagon]

01:52 PM on 02/02/2012

sounds like a job for Crazy Joe Clark! lol

[timbeaux]

02:48 AM on 02/02/2012

In a sane world, the kids who started the fight would be expelled, not so much to punish them as to make life easier for the kids who want to learn. Now it's virtually impossible to get expelled. About the worst that can happen, in California at any rate is that kids get sent to another school, where they simply start all over again.

And the parents who are screaming about lack of control are the same ones who would be screaming if their own precious kid were disciplined. The parents of the kids who started this thing have their own share of responsibility for it, but they'll never admit it.

[User61]

05:09 PM on 01/31/2012

"Parents told KTRK that they're sick of the violence the school, and blame the "lack of control" by school officials."

I suggest they look closer to home.

[freddiefingers]

10:55 PM on 02/02/2012

It seems like teachers now want parents to do their job ( I'm referring to my 15yr-olds 2-3 hours of homwork dail, plus reports that are to be done over breaks, holiday's, etc. ) and parents want teachers to do their jobs (discipline).
No wonder the kids are screwed-up.

[Roman238]

12:22 PM on 01/31/2012

I was caught in the middle of a high school riot that looked just like this. It was in the early 70's after the school board decided to change district lines, and students were bussed to different schools. My point is that this is nothing new. Cell phones, the internet, and sites like YouTube have only made it easier to spread videos like this everywhere at once. Other than that, nothing has really changed.

[imissmydog]

11:14 AM on 01/31/2012

I went to a high school just like this... In the same school district, as a matter of fact. The only reason I appreciate my high school experience is because it showed me I need to do whatever the hell I can to make the best future for myself. So, eventually I won't have to live in such a worthless school district where my children would have to go to a school like the one I went to. Personally, I am a first generation college student. I like to consider myself, and my classmates, extremely lucky that we survived that hell of a school and have bigger plans in our life. But the truth is we took it upon ourselves to make the best of our education. We were enrolled in 'upper-level'/AP classes to stay away from students like the one you see in the video. We were dismissed from school a few hours early so that we could take classes at the nearby CC. Whatever extracurricular we wanted we could find a teacher to sponsor us. I'm talking band, of course, book club, art society, BPA, key club, etc. These things were here for us and it's mind boggling to me to why students didn't take advantage of them... sorry just rambling

[imissmydog]

11:20 AM on 01/31/2012

To be clear, my school was fine. I had a like-hate relationship with my school. You can't pick the people you go to school with... but you can pick the people your children go to school with ;)

[User61]

05:06 PM on 01/31/2012

Congratulations on improving your life. Good luck.

I would miss a dog as good looking as that too!

[imissmydog]

08:08 PM on 01/31/2012

Thanks. Yeah, I miss him because I'm away for college.

[Curmudgeon H]

11:10 AM on 01/31/2012

The school should be more pro-active against these kinds of situations, since it is an alternative school, fights should be a little more expected. The parents, however, are taking no blame. They need to work on their parenting skills instead of blaming their child's behavior on the school.

[tosc]

10:41 AM on 01/31/2012

but school officials are shackled by parents who do not want their child disciplined! And what happened to Self-Discipline that is taught and encouraged at home. The parents of these students should be ashamed and embarrassed. Their child is a representation of their parents and their extended family. It used to be that if you shamed your family name...there was hell to pay at home. I am willing to be that the students who participated in this riot received little to no recourse for their anti-school actions and behavior. This is not a school problem....it is a parenting problem! what will you do when public schooling is dropped and you have to pay for private schools.?

[GlennWatson]

10:08 AM on 01/31/2012

"This is crazy. This school needs to be closed down," parent Melinda Bradley told KTRK, referring to the most recent cafeteria brawl. "It's really crazy. It needs to be closed down."

Does she think it needs to be closed down?

[personal beliefs]

10:00 AM on 01/31/2012

Who opened their cages?

[SoCalifTeacher]

08:20 AM on 01/31/2012

I bet they use the PBS (Positive Behavior System) at this school.

[Kevin Rayburn]

01:21 AM on 01/31/2012

FOOD FIGHT!

[Dad of Marine]

12:19 AM on 01/31/2012

Rather than focus on the fighting, the focus needs to be on the underlying problem? Why are they fighting? Is it a cultural thing, a divide between groups/cultures, and if so, get to the root of the problem and bring it out so students and parents can then focus on education, which of course is what the school system is supposed to be all about. I am sure, once they get out the root causes, they can focus on a solution!

[ILoveGreatDanes]

08:28 AM on 01/31/2012

I can tell you're a progressive, and it's not just because of your micro-bio. Forget about "cultural differences." If I had behaved like that in school, my mother would have whipped me. And since these kids are high school kids and really too old to get spanked, the few times I misbehaved in high school, she grounded me for a week, no friends, no boyfriend, no phone, nothing. Disciplining your child is key.

[Dad of Marine]

05:42 PM on 01/31/2012

Look, dog, you have to look beyond the kids! If you understand children and parent behavior, as you say you do, then you have to look at the adults in the house! This school system has allowed, through authority, or lack of it, for these kids to run rampant in bad behavior and then want to blame the students. You have to blame the source, and in this case, it is the school system, school board, school administrators, principals, etc.!
Kids will only react within the bounds you have set for them!. I can tell by your bio that what you say is only "good for the dogs"!! Got that, Dane!

[slinkybro]

01:55 PM on 01/31/2012

Root cause = bad kids.

[Dad of Marine]

05:34 PM on 01/31/2012

No; bad school system. Haven't you ever heard of, blame the adults! Probably NOT! This school system has allowed the kids to control and have no one to blame but themselves! And it doesn't help when you have people like YOU blaming the kids! Kids will only act with the rope you give them. Get a clue, stinkybro!! Hey, is the surf up, stinky!

[Johnson Jennifer]

11:49 PM on 01/30/2012

Schools have not changed there policies all that much but the students have and the mentality of teenagers have changed. We want children to stop doing the things they do then we need to look at the students and those who have raised them. We don't want our school to become mini prisons that our children visit during the day just to receive there educations. Its not an easy fix the economy doesn't help. Parents have to work more hrs to take care there children in stead of being home teaching their children to live up to there potential.

[roboman]

11:41 PM on 01/30/2012

Time to start expelling students....that will get parents' attention...they're the ones that need to wake up. No exceptions. Leave a contingent of cops in there for a few weeks or months as a show of force as well.

[luv2livzen]

02:42 AM on 01/31/2012

I agree--parenting issue. A huge problem is parents who aren't emotionally healthy/stable. May be addicts - drugs/alcohol. Or lack the intellectual skills to parent. How are they going to raise kids? Chances are the parents don't show others respect - to spouse/S.O., family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. How can kids be interested in learning unless they have some adult in their life that knows a better way of living. It's amazing how a neighbor, a Big brother/sister, someone at church/school, or a relative can sooo positively influence a kid. KIPP schools (charter) have had success in poor inner city areas. Parents & kids sign a contract about behavior, commitment to learning, etc. These are Good people & low income & Value education. This is not true of too many parents in problem schools, especially. KIPP teaches respect & other values. Kids have to use these values in school. If they're not behaving, doing their homework, etc., they may be out. KIPP works with parents (like single moms who aren't home rt. away after school) in solving problems. Ex. the TV may have to be removed from the home if she works & homework isn't getting done. I thought I'd pass on what I've seen about KIPP in the media. Also, I know of parents who fit the categories at the beginning of post. Kids live what they learn! I have hope that 1 person can have a significant positive influence on each kid.

[slinkybro]

01:56 PM on 01/31/2012

They would like that. I suggest juvinile detention.

[roboman]

05:57 PM on 01/31/2012

Fine. Then the teachers can finally focus on the kids that want to learn.