Randy Wagley, right, makes point during discussion with other St. Landry School Board members about violence in schools. Others shown are Anthony Standberry, left, and Raymond Cassimere.

Board members wonder how to weed thugs out of schools

A series of fights and the arrest of 13 Opelousas High School students has St. Landry School Board members asking how the system can purge itself of troublemakers.

St. Landry Parish School Board members want to know what it will take to get “wannabe thugs” out of public schools.

Gathered for a series of committee meetings Monday, members also talked about a non-agenda item -- fights at Opelousas High earlier in the day that resulted in the arrest of 13 students.

“For a garden to grow well you have to get the weeds out” said member Anthony Standberry, urging miscreants be subjected to the maximum penalty possible as quickly as possible.

Supt. Edward Brown said and the Opelousas police chief had talked about what to do, but noted due process is required.

“I say get rid of them as soon as humanly possible. Send them home or somewhere else where they can do their little gangster stuff,” Standberry said, adding, “they’re just blips on the bug screen. Get them off.”

Board members asked Brown if there was any thing that could be done with the offenders other than put them in alternative school.

Brown said he is looking into that, at least as far as perhaps as many as eight who have prior police problems are concerned. 

“How much to do we have to tolerate before we get rid of them?” Brown was asked.

He said cases of two or more students involved in an altercation with another is automatic expulsion.

Randy Wagley asked what the system can do about students with non-school related offenses.

Brown said not much, unless they’re convicted of a felony.

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