Baltimore Schools CEO 'Very Concerned' for Trial's End

As the trial for Officer William Porter nears its end, Baltimore City Public Schools officials asked parents to help maintain a sense of order in the city.

“...I am very concerned about the possibility of civil disorders following announcement of the verdict,” Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Gregory Thornton said in a statement on Dec. 14, as jurors began deliberating Porter’s case.

The Baltimore policeman is charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in the death of Freddie Gray, who died in police custody. After Gray’s funeral on April 27, city students participated in violence that escalated into riots near Mondawmin Mall.

“...I need your help in preparing our students to act responsibly and safely in the event that disorders occur,” Thornton said.

Specifically, he said that “student walkouts, vandalism, civil disorders and any form of violence are not acceptable under any circumstances...” and will lead to consequences.

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The school system plans to use the situation as an “opportunity to help our students understand appropriate ways to express dissent and avoid being drawn into potentially violent situations through poor decision-making,” according to the statement, which called for parents and community members to encourage peace.

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