BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo police say a 16-year-old, McKinley High School student was arrested following a fight outside the school Tuesday afternoon.
Police say the male student is charged with obstruction and resisting arrest.
7 News was told it was a chaotic scene outside McKinley, after Tuesday's dismissal.
@Buffalo_Schools Superintendent Dr. Williams is addressing the fights that broke out outside McKinley High School Tuesday after. “Unfortunate situation”. “Students who made poor decisions”@WKBW pic.twitter.com/eTV2XiSO6k
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) October 5, 2022
The Buffalo Public School District is now changing its after-school protocols following Tuesday's incident. In a release, the district says effective immediately, any student approved for busing should board their assigned NFTA bus in front of the school immediately after dismissal. If they don't, students could be subject to disciplinary consequences. This measure is only for students at McKinley High School.
The district released the following statement on the incident:
"Student violence compromises safety and will not be allowed, on the way to, or leaving from any Buffalo Public School (BPS). Schools must be safe zones. Unfortunately, during dismissal from McKinley High School, several students took it upon themselves and without permission, bypassed their special NFTA buses. Those students then traveled to the Elmwood and Amherst Street intersection where they created an unsafe environment by participating in multiple fights. School leadership will prioritize identifying every student who was directly involved and disciplinary measures, per the Student’s Code of Conduct, will be issued.
"The District is requesting that parents and caregivers of McKinley High School students speak with their children to inform them that, effective immediately, any student that is approved for busing is expected to board their assigned special NFTA bus, in front of the school, immediately at dismissal. Those individuals not following the specified guidelines may be subject to disciplinary consequences. This expectation was shared with the parent body at McKinley this evening via robocall and text and will be reviewed tomorrow with all students."
Buffalo Schools Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams held a news conference late Wednesday afternoon to address the issue.
“The students in Buffalo Public Schools are not out of control — they are not," remarked Dr. Williams.
Williams told reporters it was an "unfortunate" situation with some students making "poor decisions.
"They decided they would go off campus to the corner of Elmwood and Amherst. As I’m told, there were several hundred students which makes me believe there was some communication — probably using an electronic device," explained Dr. Williams.
McKinley will now stagger dismissal with grades nine and ten will leave one door and after several minutes 11th and 12th graders will leave another door.
"This will allow security staff members because all of the CTE teachers have committed to being outside at dismissal to help students transition from the school to the buses. So this will help students move their way from the school directly onto the specials that are in front of the school. We are also having the supervisor from NFTA come out to check to make sure that we have enough buses in front of the school at dismissal. If there is a need for additional specials they will be added by next week so that we can ensure that all students are able to get on a special and go directly home at dismissal time," described Charlene Watson, association superintendnet of school leadership.
I asked Superintendent Williams about telling students that if they are not getting on their assigned NFTA bus — they could risk losing their bus pass.
“We’re hoping that we don’t have any students that don’t comply — but in the event..that children are children — and that we get a couple that does, certainly, taking their bus passes would be a last resort,” replied Williams.
"I was hugely disappointed in the reaction of the students themselves," remarked Pastor James Giles.
Giles reacted to fights that broke outside of McKinley.
Giles, coordinator of WNY Peacemakers says he normally has three to four peacemakers at the school site each day.
"It got chaotic — because we didn't have clear protocols about getting them on the next convenience — the system got backed up, so number one, you had an inordinate number of students lodged in one spot, and then you had an offending school who didn't belong there," Giles stated.
Giles said parents must help in watching what social media their children are engaging in to help prevent any chance of students gathering.
"So media, I want to be clear on this. you're talking about a group of students you know, I've ever seen, and have mastered the sense of understanding what technology is like they're messaging each other. they're having these small chances. why do we ask the parents — parents, — pay attention to the butcher child, or what chat group they're involved in because they're sending out signals and messaging to each other — that's a very complex thing to examine and then get in the way of unless you have information informing you of that," noted Giles.
The district is also working to identify and discipline every student who was directly involved in the fight.
McKinley's principal also posted a message, saying any student that fails to board the NFTA bus they are assigned will have the bus pass revoked and could risk suspension.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
There is no word yet on how other students, who were involved, will be disciplined. The staggering of dismissal will continue for the rest of school year.
