I find it mystifying how a story I've only seen reported on one TV station in passing has received absolutely no notice here or anywhere else in the media. I refer to the "staged" fight presented on YouTube by our girl's charter school here in town, CGLA.
Apparently there is a huge bathroom brawl with two girls and some audience members captured on camera which was uploaded and now available for everyone. According to the story I saw, when school officials found out, they talked to the girls and were assured it was just staged for fun. Likewise, the girls were given a firm "talking-to" about their poor decision-making. End of story, although at least the mother of one students says that is not the whole story.
So that's it? No big deal? Give me a break. imagine the scene if that had happened in a Hamilton County school. Parents, news crews, at least one public official up for re-election holding a decency rally, and all the media would be flooded with stories and outrage at what school officials let go on in our schools and how bad our school system is.
Fights in our schools broadcast on YouTube? Imagine what the rest of the world thinks of our pitiful school system. Punish the kids, fire the teachers, move the principal to another school (they don't fire them...). Find someone to blame, quick, and put your kid in private school where they're safe.
It amazes me how selective we are as a community in our criticism. Were it not for this one story, it would not even be common knowledge. Had it happened in a public school, it would have been the top story in every media outlet. Apparently as a charter school, CGLA is given the benefit of the doubt. Now, had this happened in one of our many private schools here in Chattanooga... well, we still wouldn't know about it, would we? And never will - because fights, drugs, alcohol, sex - that never happens at our private schools, does it? Well, not that you will ever hear about in the media. Amazing how that works, isn't it?
Lee Crews
Hixson