NY. Teachers fears realized as student attacks

Teachers in the Buffalo Public School system are speaking out about a so-called cycle of violence at Riverside High.

The outcry comes after a teacher was reportedly jumped by a student Wednesday afternoon. The student has been arrested and stands accused of assault.

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore said, “What apparently happened is that the student walked up behind a teacher, unbeknownst to the teacher, and punched him in the face.”

Officials in the Buffalo school district’s central office had no comment on the assault Wednesday night. They would only tell us it is “under investigation.”

Teachers here have been concerned about in-school violence and security for years. They’ve been asking the school district to add more manpower, but so far, that hasn’t happened.

Riverside teacher and union representative Marc Bruno said, “There are tons of fights in the school. I think if people saw the video of the fights that occur in the cafeterias or in the hallways, they would be horrified.”

Bruno believes Riverside needs not only more security officers, but metal detectors. More weapons were brought to Riverside than into any other Buffalo school, in 2010-2011.

“Our security staff is the best in the business. If anything, they should have medals pinned on them. But there’s only four of them for that large building. So if there’s a fight in the cafeteria, the rest of the building is now a free-for-all,” Bruno said.

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