A group of East Hamilton Middle School parents is demanding the district strengthen and enforce its student discipline policies, saying administrators are failing to protect staff and students from repeated physical and verbal assaults by being too lenient.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press sat down with nine of these parents, who said student misbehavior is hurting their children's ability to learn and feel secure at school.
"My kid is not safe," parent Monique Scott said. "Kids are not safe. And they will not be unless we open up our mouths."
The situation hit a tipping point this past week after three incidents left parents feeling helpless.
The first was an alleged "hit list" that circulated among students and appeared to target certain individuals.
"This week, our administration was informed about the existence of a list of names allegedly being targeted for harm," East Hamilton Middle School Principal Kristen Childs wrote in an email to families. "We immediately began an investigation with law enforcement, and it was determined that the report was not credible. No students were being threatened."
On Nov. 16, a student hit a classmate so hard that the classmate was taken to the emergency room, according to a teacher at the school who wished to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation by administrators.
The teacher in a phone call said she brought the injured classmate to the nurse's office following the attack, and the student's mother took him to the emergency room.
The Times Free Press reached out to the parents of the victim, but they did not respond to requests for comment.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
It was not the first time the assailing student had attacked someone at school, the teacher said.
In August, the student broke the teacher's finger during a physical altercation, the teacher said. She said the boy approached a sixth grader and attacked him "out of nowhere." She said she jumped between the two, and in the midst of the fighting, the boy fractured her finger.
According to district and federal law, striking a teacher is considered a "zero-tolerance" offense, meaning it results in a one-year expulsion "unless modified by the superintendent."
After breaking her finger, the student was given a five-day suspension, the teacher said. And for his most recent offense, the student was given a 10-day suspension and will return to school, she said.
On Nov. 17, a student brought a knife to school, according to an email sent to families by the administration.
"Today, a small knife was found in our school," the email said. "The discovery was reported to administration, and we immediately involved law enforcement to investigate. The origins of the knife were quickly determined, and appropriate disciplinary actions have been taken."
(READ MORE: Hamilton County teachers cite student behavior, lack of support as reasons for leaving)
In a statement, district officials said they could not comment on any specific student disciplinary actions.
"We are aware of, and are listening to, concerns raised by parents and staff at East Hamilton Middle School involving student discipline and school safety," the news release said.
LACK OF DISCIPLINE
Some parents have had enough and said there is a clear lack of discipline overall.
"The school that's supposed to be a safe place has now become something that's insecure because there's so many inconsistencies," Sara Diruscio said.
Following the three incidents, parents asked for a community meeting with Childs, the school's principal. They said she scheduled it one hour before the school's biggest dance of the year -- an inconvenient time.
"On Friday night, when most people are taking their kids out to dinner, taking pictures, doing their hair before a dance," Diruscio said, "it felt like a slap in the face. It feels like it's being swept under the rug."
Hamilton County Schools officials in a news release said they are committed to transparency.
"HCS and the East Hamilton Middle School administration are committed to transparent and timely communications with families about incidents at their school," officials said. "However, we are aware of inaccurate information being circulated within the East Hamilton community involving some of these matters."
(READ MORE: 30% of Hamilton County Schools third graders may need summer literacy tutoring)
Scott said based on what she's heard from teachers and how administrators responded to parents Friday, she gets the sense there isn't strong unity.
"That comes from the top down," Scott said. "It's the culture of the school. If you're not a united front, you're not going to work."
Several of the parents said teachers simply tolerate being called derogatory names by students, being cussed at and being disrespected because administrators do not enforce consequences.
"That's what got me fired up. I started reading teachers' words from their mouths, responses that they were scared to go to work," Holly Hannah said referring to emails she and other parents received from teachers. "They didn't feel like they were being heard. They don't feel like they have any power."
According to the district's student code of conduct, students are "not to use obscene, profane, threatening or disrespectful language or images in any communications with HCS faculty and staff."
"My daughter has come home and is like, 'I've never learned so many new curse words' since she started sixth grade," Hannah said, "which I get, but they're cussing in class in front of the teachers."
Scott said her daughter has told her similar things.
"My daughter is new to this state, new to the school," Scott said. "And she said, 'Mom, these kids are so rude. They are so disrespectful. The teachers ask them several times to stop, they won't stop. They keep talking. They're making fun of the teacher.' There was a lot. She was taken aback by the behavior."
For every offense, the district outlines four levels of disciplinary actions, which can range anywhere from arranging a parent meeting to suspension.
Discipline is largely at the discretion of each school's principal.
"The school principal has the discretion to deviate from these guidelines by assessing an appropriate consequence other than stated in the matrix if he or she determines in his or her sole discretion that there are mitigating or aggravating circumstances," the policy reads. "However, the learning community superintendent must be consulted when this deviation occurs -- prior to finalizing the parental notice."
Students cannot be suspended for more than 10 days without the community superintendent's approval.
The behaviors have gotten so out of hand, the children are noticing they can't learn, parents said.
"I can't stand when (my children) come home and say, 'I can't learn. My teacher can't teach because there's too many distractions in class.' They see that everything's affecting their learning," Diruscio said.
FACEBOOK GROUP
Parents said they are not going to be silent until changes are made and administrators hold students accountable for their behaviors. They have formed a Facebook group, a coalition of sorts, with more than 100 members, including teachers, they said.
"Emotional safety and the physical safety of the children and the school has been compromised," Scott said.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County teachers now required to lock classrooms)
Scott said it isn't about getting more students expelled but figuring out what emotional and mental health supports students need to help improve their behaviors, but consistent discipline is part of that.
"We we want to be a part of the solution," Hannah said.
Group members said they are meeting with some Hamilton County Schools officials Monday, and in a news release, officials said they will be hosting a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 at East Hamilton Middle School to address community concerns.
"Bottom line, parents aren't happy, we want change, we're not going to let that up," Diruscio said.
"And we're not going to shut up," Scott added.
Contact Carmen Nesbitt at cnesbitt@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327. Follow her on Twitter @carmen_nesbitt.