Re: Zero-Tolerance Policy in Fairfax County Public Schools
Posted by:
what was their punishment?
()
Date: March 07, 2011 02:47PM
Langley Students Vandalize McLean High, Insult Step Team
Ugly Incidents at Langley-McLean Basketball Game
By Paula Rogo
| January 13, 2011
Update:The Fairfax County Police Department just stated that no police officers were injured at the basketball game on December 17.
A McLean student was detained by an officer after throwing a water bottle as other students were leaving. That student was turned over to school administrators for school discipline. No-one was arrested
McLEAN - Langley High School students vandalized McLean High School and hurled insults that bordered on racial slurs during the first basketball game between the two long-time McLean cross town rivals in December.
According to a story in the Saxon Scope, the Langley High School student newspaper, "At the game, which was hosted at McLean, Langley students hurled insults at McLean’s step team, shouted demeaning messages at the opposing fans, and even managed to put seventeen holes in McLean’s gym bleachers using their feet. By the end of the game, the police were involved, and an officer was injured, the Scope story said.
McLean Patch has asked the Fairfax County Police Department about the incident.
Langley High School principal Matthew Ragone "later addressed the abuse inflicted on the McLean step team, saying, “Their step team gets mocked by a lot of schools, not just Langley. Those girls are really courageous to get out there in front of everybody, just to be made fun of. [The principal of McLean] told me that the step team coaches have to persuade them every game to keep going,” the Scope reported.
"Mr. Ragone said he was saddened when on Friday, Langley became one of the many schools to mock the step team. “People see us [making fun of them] and think it’s a racial reaction….They accuse us of being racist. And I really don’t know what to say to that,” the Langley newpaper reported.
Stepping is a dance performance, made popular by African American fraternities and sororities, involving chanting, singing, stomping of the feet, and clapping of the hands in a synchronized manner. McLean’s step-team has a diverse racial make-up. In past years, it has been a majority African American team.
After talking with McLean Principal Deborah Jackson, Paul Regnier, the spokesman for the Fairfax County Public Schools confirmed, that around 25 school bleachers were damaged. Unable to give the cost of repairs, he added that “the bill for the bleachers will go to Langley.” Regnier could not comment on any disciplinary action.
It could not be determined if Jackson had addressed her student body about the incidents. Teachers have discussed the incidents in some classes.
Why should you care if you have no children who attend either McLean or Langley: Because taxpayers will end up paying to repair the damages and because some of our students have been hurt and disrespected by some of their neighbors.
McLean and Langley are two of Fairfax County's most elite schools. Both are attended by children from some of the richest families in the county where fathers and mothers are lawyers, doctor, diplomats, lobbyists, high ranking government officials and Supreme Court justices. The granddaughter of former president Lyndon Johnson teaches at Langley.
This is the second time this year that Langley students have vandalised a school. Some Langley students damaged their own school in October when they defied Ragone and staged the banned rituals of Color Day which includes spraying each other with paint, mustard and ketchup that gets on school walls, floors and tables.
Neither Ragone nor Jackson would comment for this story. It is unclear if Ragone offered an apology on behalf of Langley and whether Jackson asked for one on behalf of McLean. McLean Patch made several attempts to talk to both principals. We visited both schools, where Jackson was unavailable and Ragone had already left for the day. The following day Ragone referred us to Assistant Principal Fred Amico, who did not return our calls. Jackson referred us to Regnier. Both principals knew we were calling about the incidents at the game.
Ragone asked students to voluntarily write letters of apology to McLean, according to the Saxon Scope.
The two schools, which are four miles apart, have enjoyed a long and spirited rivalry. The December game was a tight game, with Langley taking the win at 43-42 “The games are extremely vibrant,” Rose Amolo, a McLean parent says. “I look forward to going to them.
The games have become so intense that fans from each school must use separate entrances to avoid confrontations.
Nnenna Izegbu, who graduated from McLean in 2009, and was the step team captain for two years said, “We loved to perform because we get love and overwhelming support from our school. . . You have to understand that the rivalry is amplified,” she added. “People are ready to say anything to make the other side angry. They don’t realize what they’re saying can be semi-derogatory.”
Regnier said students do get overexcited during games. “We try to do what we can to stop them.” He adds that it is up to the school’s principals to figure out how to stop these actions.
Dave Seminara, a freelance sports reporter who covered the game for Patch, said, "I've covered about a dozen games for Patch so far, and this was the only game I've done where there was any chanting going on". The chants included:
Langley Fans: "Our girls are hotter!" (During a halftime cheerleaders skit) A small group of their fans also chanted "We can buy you" at one point, and a handful were mocking a girl on the McLean team and yellling at her that she was "ugly." After they won, they chanted "this is OUR house." (though the game was at Mclean)
McLean Fans: They chanted the name of the ex-wife of one of the Langley coaches ex-wife at one point. I asked a few people about this, but no one was very clear how this got started. They chanted "Justin Beiber" frequently, at one of the Langley players. They also chanted "He's a freshman," and "Merry Christmas" a few times.
Ragone told his students, “If we take the high road and show what classy, nice people we can be, then our relationship with McLean can be rebuilt. But if we act defensive and make excuses for our behavior, then we won’t be playing McLean in public anymore,” Ragone said according to the Saxon Scope.