Two teachers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have been placed on administrative leave after filming multiple preschool students ganging up on a classmate in a fight.
A parent and grandparent with children at Riveroaks Elementary School say the incident comes as no surprise, alleging that teachers routinely fail to intervene in fights and bullying on campus.
“That’s impressionable on that kid. It’s saying it’s OK to beat anybody up and I won’t get checked,” one grandparent said, according to news station WBRZ. “I won’t be reprimanded for this. And this happens all the time. My granddaughter was picked on last year because she’s very small and she wears glasses. And it’s like they stand there and watch them.”
One mother who spoke with WAFB 9 said she was devastated after receiving videos of her 4-year-old son being repeatedly punched in class as part of gladiatorial contests patterned after “Fight Club,” the 1999 film where underground brawls spiral out of control.
In the real-life case, however, teachers at the school stood by and filmed multiple preschool students swarming a classmate in an all-out brawl during class time.
Parents of students have repeatedly echoed concerns about the lack of intervention from staff, with one parent recounting how one of her sons has repeatedly witnessed and even tried to break up fights on the playground — only to see teachers stand by without taking action.
“My son has come home and told me multiple stories about how he has tried to stop fights on the playground and the teachers stand there and don’t do anything about it,” the parent told the station. “It’s multiple grades, and they would bully and start fights with the little kids. He has said that he’s gotten pushed down before trying to step up and stand up for another kid in his grade. So I’m not surprised.”
Other concerned parents said they are thinking about moving their children to a different school.
“I told my daughter, I said I need her transferred. I’m sick of it, I need her transferred. Because next year it may be something different,” a grandparent said.
“I’m definitely not sending my daughters here. Without a doubt. No questions asked. I’m ready to get my son out of here,” another parent said.
East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent LaMont Cole said last Wednesday that an investigation will determine why the two unnamed teachers failed to intervene in the fight and what consequences they will face.
A woman who identified herself as the mother of a student involved posted a video Wednesday, claiming her 4-year-old was the one who was abused.
“My son wakes up crying every morning, begging not to go to school because he says everyone is mean to him,” the woman stated in the post.
Cole said he was unsure when the incident occurred but was informed on Wednesday after the principal brought it to his attention. The Riveroaks principal stated they had only recently learned about the situation.
Cole said he was “completely appalled” that the teachers in the room didn’t break up the fight but emphasized that none of the students sustained serious injuries, WBRZ reported.
He also apologized to the families of those involved and to those concerned about the incident.
