After Homecoming Game Fight, East Central ISD Parents Pushing For Change
The gridiron is a sacred place for communities to peacefully get together and cheer on their home team. It’s not a place for violence, especially in the stands. However, following a fight at a Texas high school football game, parents of East Central ISD are pushing for change.
In particular, the parents expressed student safety concerns last Thursday, detailing their frustrations over school violence to the school board. East Central was accused of lacking appropriate consequences for the violence.
During East Central’s homecoming game last week, a female student was reportedly attacked in the stands by a male student. The woman claims her assailant knocked her over after she tried to mediate a fight between him and his girlfriend. Reportedly, her head struck the guard rail.
Administrators didn’t do anything to address the incident, forcing the student’s mother to take her daughter to the emergency room.
A petition created by Keira Gilmore, the victim’s older sister, demanded the removal of the high school’s principal Melissa Barnett Kocian over claims of an “increase in drugs, fights, violence and suicide attempts which have been seen on campus between last year and this year.”
The petition has received nearly 800 signatures.
Texas Education Agency data revealed East Central ISD reported 104 incidents of fighting during 2020-21—the most recent data available. Those are higher rates of violent incidents compared to the average for the San Antonio area.
To make matters worse, East Central was put on lockdown last Friday after reported gunshots. However, authorities claim the incident was a hoax.
Last weekend, over a dozen Friday Night Lights games were the site of fights between students. Parents of East Central ISD believes that conflict continues happening at game because they are in areas without adult supervision.
East Central’s homecoming game also saw a student having a serious medical event that required intervention and a report of gunfire a mile away from campus.
The district said it was unable to say if the male student would be charged or face disciplinary measures.
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