Dangerous Joliet High Schools: Angry Parents Blast School Board

JOLIET, IL — About 15 people, including several angry parents of Joliet Central and Joliet West students, addressed the District 204 school board at Tuesday night's special meeting. Their message? The upper administration's soft stance on school fighting, weapons and bullying has led to a school year of out of control chaos for hundreds of teenagers.

School board president Frank Edmon reminded everyone who spoke during the 7 p.m. meeting that they only had three minutes each to speak. The board does not respond to comments from the audience. Nonetheless, speaker after speaker approached the podium to give the board an earful in regard to the current school year's out of control violence.

Last Friday, longtime Joliet West High School Principal Teresa Gibson was attacked by several of her students as she tried to break up a brawl inside her building on North Larkin Avenue.

The attack on Gibson drew widespread social media coverage and prompted second-year superintendent Karla Guseman to issue a statement to parents and students on Saturday. Guseman alerted families across District 204 that school violence is not acceptable and that harsher consequences would result from future fights, including punishment for students who gather around fights to post videos on social media platforms.

Here's a rundown of key comments made by audience members who addressed the District 204 school board during Tuesday night's meeting:

Parent of Joliet West High School senior: "I'm here to express my deep concern and anger regarding the lack of consistent and effective discipline in our high schools. I've been upset about this issue for a long time and with my son being a senior at Joliet West, I fear for his safety in the current school environment. Both campuses have experienced escalating violence and rule-breaking this school year. As a former employee, I know that fighting, drugs and inappropriate sexual activity has occurred over many years. However, this year, these seem to be even more frequent and the fighting more violent than in the past. What is even more concerning is that neither the individuals perpetrating these acts nor their parents are experiencing consequences that will discourage them from doing these things in the future."

Parent of Joliet West High School sophomore: "I've been a licensed social worker at Silver Cross Hospital for over 16 years and my husband, a Joliet fireman, for over 20 years. I am a product of the public school system. I went to grade school and middle school in District 86. I'm a high school graduate of Joliet Central. I had amazing teachers throughout my education, and I always felt safe in my school environment. These are a few of the reasons why my husband and I chose to send our daughter to Joliet West. Our son is in eighth grade this year, and I can honestly tell you at this point, I'm not sure that we will make that same decision for him. School is the one place that a child should feel safe ... I'm here to tell you that my daughter does not feel safe walking the halls of Joliet West, and I am not OK with that. From what I'm hearing, the teachers do not feel safe in their work environment, and I can't blame them. The videos of the violence in our schools sickens me and causes me to be fearful for my daughter's safety, my nieces' safety, the safety of all the students and staff. I'm absolutely appalled that it took Dr. Gibson being battered for Karla Guseman to send out an email to the parents and students about consequences of continued violence in the schools ..."

Parent of Joliet West student: "Passing period is when these fights happen. So these kids have to use their restroom time, use the restroom, during passing period when there are probably fights going on and probably are issues going on in the bathroom. Maybe these kids are scared. So they try to go during their classroom time because they know they have an escort, and they might be safe. That should not happen ... Weapons in the school, firearms, box cutters, razor blades, Mace, and a lot of those kids were only given a one-day in-school suspension. I'm sorry ... but if that happens outside of school, they're not going to be given a slap on the wrist."

District 204 teacher: "As teachers, it is our hope and expectation that we can contribute our ideas in helping create a safe environment for everyone. We want to work in partnership with our administration, school board, parents and community. We need everyone's support. We need everyone's help to make sure all of our buildings are what we know they should be. Our students, staff and teachers should have the opportunity to learn and work in an environment that is safe and one that provides the opportunity for our students to thrive."

Parent of Joliet West students: "I'd like to make a point here, that the people in this audience and the 20 or so people who are outside and the (356) people that are watching on the livestream, are all Joliet parents, Joliet residents, Joliet teachers, unlike some of your past meetings. It has been alleged that, one of the board members here, has said in a previous meeting regarding another issue that if parents are complaining, we don't need to talk about it. So I can ask the people who are here, if you're concerned about safety in the schools, please stand."

Audience members then began clapping in agreement. The speaker then continued, "If you want to help make the situation better, please stand."

Another round of applause began.

"I want you to take note that people are concerned. People are worried, and people want change. We are watching, we are willing to help, but things need to change."

The final speaker to address the school board was the legendary Joliet Central High School's Eural McLaughlin, fondly known as "Coach Mac."

Coach Mac was head wrestling coach at Joliet Central from 1970 to 2010, and during his tenure at Central he was a physical education instructor and dean of students.

"Pandemic, all these things going on, you happen to be the lucky people that get all this going on. You know what brought me here? That TV. That was ridiculous. We didn't get on TV when we won the state championship in softball and in wrestling when I was coach. And the first thing I see, the other day, I don't know how many times I saw it, it was an embarrassing scene, our principal, being pummeled, as she tried to stop a fight. Now, if somebody say she doesn't earn her job, she earned her job on that one. She took in command what teachers have to do sometimes.

"You don't want women teachers to go in there and do something that a man can do. But sometimes, it's necessary. You've got to be ready ... I don't know what year it is, but it is chaotic. It is chaotic.

"Our kids have been out of school going where, nowhere, they have no discipline ... you say where are the parents? And you don't know. And I listen to the parents here, and I see probably about four times this amount, if we had more chairs. We need, we need, we need discipline. You see, we did something that was bad. In the '70s and '60s, we just kicked them out. You want to fight? We go in and break it up, you're out. Discipline was not suspension, it was gone. And you try to come back, you don't get back in, unless you get a lawyer.

"What I'm trying to say, how can we get by this? We have to come up with a plan. You have to come up with a plan. And not tomorrow, but right through when I get through speaking you should have a plan in your hand."

At that moment, the audience began clapping in agreement with Coach Mac.

Minutes later, the school board president informed everyone the meeting was over.