Something is wrong in a school when a teacher or coach calls a school resource officer over words between a student and a coach.
All because an East Ridge High School coach doesn't like that a student doesn't feel well enough to play kickball, then, when he feels better, comes off the bleachers to begin playing basketball?
All because when the coach challenges the student's action, the student challenges back, even calls the coach racist?
What happened to the days when the coach might have called the principal and sought a detention? Why didn't the coach call the principal and a parent?
The father was called -- by the student after the SRO dragged the young man (who was not resisting or fighting him) out of a seat on the bleachers, shoved him down on the stairs, dragged him by the hair up the stairs, and maced him.
Excuse us. If this was your child would you expect a him to be treated like this because he didn't want to play a game? Because he challenged what he must have perceived as being bullied by a coach or teacher? Because he didn't feel well? Because he got mouthy about it after repeatedly being challenged?
You didn't feel well enough to play in my kickball game but then you did feel well enough to pick up a basketball? the coach said. You don't like me asking about it? I'm the teacher. I'm in charge.
The coach didn't say it this way, but he certainly implied: I'm lord of you.
Would you expect the SRO to tell your son he's arresting him and taking him to jail for sitting out a kickball game and being mouthy to an also mouthy, bullying coach and SRO? Would you expect him to be dragged by the hair from a sitting position, then tossed around and maced?
Of course you wouldn't.
If an SRO resorts to mace in a school building on a student who is not fighting him, the SRO does not have the personality and skills to work in a school.
If the coach can't have a civil conversation with a small, 18-year-old student -- and the video shows he couldn't -- he doesn't need to be a coach or a teacher or work anywhere even near a school.
Frankly, in our view, every adult who watched this debacle play out over the course of more than an hour at East Ridge High on Thursday, and made no move to stop it, should be fired.
Some 200 students walked out of East Ridge High classes on Friday to peacefully protest. We're proud of them.
Watch the videos (there are at least two) and you be the judge.
According to the official police and school version of what happened, the SRO was "attempting to restrain" the Black student on the bleachers by pulling his hair and pushing him to the ground.
That's not we saw. There was no restraining. The student was sitting very still on the bleachers.
On that same video as the student is being dragged, a nearby adult can be seen and heard cautioning "don't resist!" The student responds, "Ya'll see what he's doing? I'm not resisting!"
In another, later, hour-long video from the SRO's body cam, the officer is clearly nervous as the young man remains seated on a floor despite entreaties to get up and wash the mace from his face.
Would you? Would you trust the coach who just called an SRO on you? Would you trust the officer who just dragged you and maced you, for no apparent good reason? Would you feel safe to walk alone with either or both of them to a bathroom? Would you entrust your son to them?
The young man doesn't get up until his father arrives to help him up and walk him to the bathroom. The student is now facing multiple charges, including assault, resisting arrest and obstruction of legal process.
With good reason, the Chattanooga NAACP posted the video of the Tuesday arrest on its Facebook page earlier this week, with the comment, "We have questions and need explanations. What was the cause of this situation at East Ridge High School?"
School board chair Tiffanie Robinson on Thursday said she was "disturbed" by what she saw in the video and called for more investigation.
Board member Karitsa Mosley Jones also found the video unnerving.
"I saw the video. It was very troubling for me from a couple of different angles," Jones said. "One, as a mother of two African American sons, my heart goes out to that mom and to that child and their family. Second, it is very troubling from a school board member standpoint. In my experience, having been a Hamilton County school graduate myself, we didn't have those types of engagements or interactions with our SRO. The relationships were not as such."
Asked if she thought the incident was racially motivated, Jones said she couldn't say.
"I don't know (the officer's) moral or ethical values or where he stands as a relates to implicit bias, discrimination, prejudice," Jones said. "I don't know that, so I cannot say that this individual is racist, and I will not say that. What I will say is the experience that this young man had yesterday is something that is becoming more prevalent than not with individuals that look like him. And at that time, what do you say?"
For that, some have called Jones racist.
But enough already with talk of who's racist and who's not. This is about respect. Respect not just for educators but also for students.
Where on Thursday was the school system's much vaulted "personalization side of school" because "kids need to feel valued and have a sense of belonging." Those were the superintendent's words as classes started in August.
Mouthy to a coach is not a reason to call an SRO, not an excuse for an abusive arrest, not a call for criminal charges. So much for personalization.