LANSING, Mich. — After cell phone videos surfaced showing fights at Dwight Rich School of the Arts, the Lansing School District is holding three anti-violence meetings, with hopes keeping students and staff safe.
The first video showed a fight between two students and the second video showed a fight between a student and teacher.
“We have to do everything in power to create support, create safety and create a sense of love,” said Missy Lilje, a member of the district's Board of Education. “So what better way to do that than to hold a space at each of the high schools to have people just come out and have a safe space to have conversations to share their feelings and their thoughts and their ideas.”
The first meeting was held on Tuesday night at Everett High School. The dialogue touched on equality, improving the relationships between students and staff, parental involvement and gun violence.
“My stepson is pretty good at expressing his feelings, and I’m afraid and someone may retaliate and maybe try jumping him or kids could bring a gun to school and he could be hit or injured,” said Renee Reese, a parent in the district.
Notes from all three meetings will passed on to the school board in hopes of creating change.
This is about making people feel comfortable and making the community even better than it is today,” said Superintendent Ben Shuldiner.
Since the cell phone videos were released, officials said they’re reiterating that that the district does have a no cell phone policy while in school.
