Massachusetts High School Asks National Guard to Step in to Help School Violence Crisis

The biggest high school in New England is looking for some serious help from the Massachusetts National Guard.

Brockton High School, much like other schools all over the country, is currently battling teacher shortages and budget deficits. However, that is the least of their concern.

Or perhaps that is EXACTLY the concern.

"Officials have asked Gov. Maura Healey to send in the Massachusetts National Guard to stop violence and address security concerns at a troubled high school in a city south of Boston, some school committee members said Monday," according to an ABC News article.

I gasped when I saw this for the first time.

Mostly because it seems like a lot of overkill. Then again, I am not in the school witnessing what is happening.

Although what is going on, unfortunately, seems like "normal" high school behavior, the Brockton School committee is making it seem much more severe than "normal."

Four of the seven members of the Brockton School Committee backed the request to activate the National Guard to combat a rise in school fights, drug use, and verbal abuse to teachers.

City officials were not unanimous in their support.

The students at Brockton High are currently not in school, leaving committees, the Mayor, and other officials desperate to try and resolve the concern.

Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan, who serves as chair of the school committee, said he forwarded the request to the governor on Friday, even though he opposed it. “National Guard soldiers are not the answer,” he said to ABC News.

Some members, according to ABC News, voiced their reasonings:

"We’re not asking them to deploy a whole army to our school. We’re asking for support,” committee member Ana Oliver said.

“If you support safety in our schools, you will support the National Guard to come in here and keep our schools safe,” said Tony Rodrigues, another committee member.