California School District Pepper Sprays Students Protesting Racism
YIKES
The school district says the students became “unruly,” but one mom questioned what environment staff have created to lead to the protest in the first place.
School security officers used pepper spray on a group of peacefully protesting high schoolers on Tuesday, with the school district claiming they became “unruly.” The protest began at 11:30 a.m. at Indian Springs High School in San Bernardino, California. A spokesperson for the San Bernardino City Unified School District said a group of students tried to disrupt a teacher’s class, and a small group refused to return to their classes. A video posted to social media showed students yelling and eventually, teachers and students physically fighting. Then, pepper spray was sprayed into the air, and a student screamed that he’d been sprayed. The school district said no one was hurt but the tense situation has left some uneasy. Parent Maureen Clair told NBC4 Los Angeles she rushed to the school after her son texted her, and she’s concerned it escalated to that point. “What’s gonna keep them safe and what are the teachers doing or what are the people doing here that’s got these kids all riled up?” she said. The school will have police and extra personnel on campus Wednesday.