'Alarming Increase In Violence' At Wilde Lake HS: Principal

COLUMBIA, MD — Fights at Wilde Lake High School are increasing in frequency and recently resulted in the injury of staff members who tried to intervene, the principal reported on Monday. A fight at the high school on Friday was the third in three weeks, according to Wilde Lake High School Principal Rick Wilson.

Wilson said that the fights were connected larger conflicts that extended beyond the individual school. In a letter to families on Monday, Wilson asked adults to talk with their children about ways to diffuse situations.

"On Friday morning, unfortunately, several Wilde Lake students were involved in a very visible fight in the building. Staff, including our HCPD School Resource Officer, were present and immediately took steps to separate the individuals and restore order. Unfortunately, in attempting to intervene, several staff were injured. Thankfully, these injuries were minor and all staff are expecting a full and speedy recovery. The students involved have been disciplined in accordance with the HCPSS Code of Conduct," Wilson said.

"I am sharing this information with you not because of this specific incident in particular, our sixth physical fight of the school year, but because three of these fights have occurred in the past three weeks. Obviously, we are concerned about this alarming increase in violence and the safety concerns associated with them," Wilson said.

"I am also writing to let you know that our investigations have uncovered that most of these fights were the result of conflicts that began in our larger community, beyond normal school hours, and involve students at other HCPSS schools, in several cases," Wilson said.

He asked parents and guardians to encourage their students to speak with adults about conflicts at or outside of school so that they could be addressed "before they come to blows."

The note came less than three weeks after a fight at another high school injured staff members as well. In that case, at Oakland Mills High School on Nov. 14, two teen girls were charged, officials said.

• Knife Fight At Oakland Mills High School, 2 Charged: Police

Wilson said that the staff members at Wilde Lake High School sustained minor injuries and were recovering.

Here is the full letter from Dec. 4:

Dear Wilde Lake Community:

I am writing to inform you of an incident that took place here on Friday, December 1st, and to make you aware of the response by Wilde Lake High School staff and the Howard County Public School System.

On Friday morning, unfortunately, several Wilde Lake students were involved in a very visible fight in the building. Staff, including our HCPD School Resource Officer, were present and immediately took steps to separate the individuals and restore order. Unfortunately, in attempting to intervene, several staff were injured. Thankfully, these injuries were minor and all staff are expecting a full and speedy recovery. The students involved have been disciplined in accordance with the HCPSS Code of Conduct.

I am sharing this information with you not because of this specific incident in particular, our 6th physical fight of the school year, but because three of these fights have occurred in the past 3 weeks. Obviously, we are concerned about this alarming increase in violence and the safety concerns associated with them. I am also writing to let you know that our investigations have uncovered that most of these fights were the result of conflicts that began in our larger community, beyond normal school hours, and involve students at other HCPSS schools, in several cases.

Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers, I kindly ask that you take some time this week to speak with your child(ren) about conflict and remind them that the adults in their lives are here to provide for their safety and to guide them through difficult situations. Please remind your child(ren) that we have trained personnel throughout the building if he or she feels the need to talk to a trusted adult anytime during normal school hours.
Please also ask them to share with you and school staff when conflict is occurring, even outside of school, so we can work together to diffuse these situations safely and effectively and before they come to blows. As I shared with students earlier this morning, conflict is a natural part of life. However, as adults, we know that conflict should not result in violence.
No matter your child’s personal background, he or she deserves the chance to feel safe and have an education equal to any of their peers throughout Howard County. Every person, students and adults alike, has the right to a safe environment and each of us need to take the responsibility on ourselves to make sure no one feels uncomfortable, marginalized, or ostracized.

Please contact me with any questions and to share your thoughts regarding how we can all work together to make Wilde Lake a safer community and create a more fully inclusive environment for everyone. I can be reached at rick_wilson@hcpss.org.

Sincerely,

Rick
Rick Wilson
Principal

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