The four members of the committee write in a letter to Mayor Robert Sullivan that immediate action is needed in order to “prevent a potential tragedy.” “Over the past few months, our high school has experienced a disturbing increase in incidents related to violence, security concerns, and substance abuse. The situation has reached a critical point, more recently we had an alarming 35 teachers absent, underscoring the severity of the challenges we are facing,” the letter explains. According to the letter, the school has witnessed a surge in students loitering in hallways, engaging in physical confrontations, causing disruptions, and leaving the premises without authorization. Additionally, the unauthorized entry of individuals onto school property has raised alarms about trespassing risks. In their plea, the committee members emphasized that the expertise of the National Guard in crisis management could provide crucial relief until long-term solutions can materialize. “Recognizing the gravity of the situation, we are formally requesting that you reach out to Governor Healey and request the deployment of the National Guard to assist in restoring order, ensuring the safety of all individuals on the school premises, and implementing measures to address the root causes of the issues we are facing,” the committee members stated. “We understand the gravity of this request and the importance of collaboration between local and state authorities,” the letter added. “The National Guard's expertise in crisis management and community support can offer a vital temporary intervention, allowing for a comprehensive, long-term solution to be developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.” The urgency of the situation is further illustrated by incidents like the one involving Cliff Canavan, a Brockton High School math and science teacher, who sustained a broken arm while attempting to break up a student fight in December 2022. “We flipped over the [tackle sled]. The student was on one side, I was on the other and the steel hit me in the arm and broke both forearm bones,” he told Boston 25 News. Canavan told the news outlet that the level of violence among students has progressively gotten worse over the past decade. “We are outmatched,” Canavan said. “There are several fights every day throughout the school. Some of them are not too bad, some of them are quite horrific.”In an urgent appeal for state intervention, officials from the Brockton School Committee in Massachusetts have sought an “expedited meeting” with Gov. Maura Healey, requesting the deployment of the National Guard to address escalating violence at a south Boston school.
