Members of the Brockton School Committee urged the city’s mayor on Friday to ask Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey for National Guard support. Student violence and a high rate of teacher absences instigated the request. Four committee members—Joyce Asack, Tony Rodrigues, Claudio Gomes, and Ana Oliver—specifically requested that temporary National Guard support be deployed at Brockton High School but also voiced concern for the middle school and elementary levels. The school board called for order to be restored, safety for all on the school premises, and an urgent need to address the root causes of what the officials call an educational ‘crisis’ and ‘potential tragedy.’
The letter to the mayor cites instances of students aimlessly wandering the halls, serious physical altercations, and 35 teachers regularly calling in absent. Recent weeks have also seen an uptick in students leaving school grounds without permission and adult trespassers being found on school property. In a press conference, local news WCVB said the committee emphasized that these incidents undermine the learning environment, “jeopardize the integrity of statewide testing processes,” and compound health and safety risks for the students and staff.
The committee members believe the National Guard’s expertise in crisis management and community support could provide a vital temporary intervention. Boston25 news reported committee member Tony Rodrigez stated, “ the National Guard brings positivity, we used them to deploy Covid vaccinations….we are looking for them to step in and act as substitute teachers and hall monitors.”
However, other members of the Brockton High School committee and the mayor voiced concern over the request for the National Guard, citing the militarizated presence might infringe on students’ civil liberties and create an intimidating environment. There has been no official statement from Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts, regarding the request to deploy the Massachusetts National Guard at Brockton High School.
