Students seek change at Sayre H.S.

Stung by a brawl at their school and what they say is a "prison-like" atmosphere there, a group of students demonstrated today to demand change at Sayre High School in West Philadelphia.

The students also asked for a meeting with James Golden, the district's safety officer, to protest the district's handling of a Sept. 17 disruption.

Twenty teens were arrested that day in a brawl authorities say started over some late-arriving students' uniform violations. The students, who were due at school at 8 a.m., arrived at 9:45. They were told by a city police officer they could not enter because they were not wearing uniforms, as required by school policy.

One or more students attempted to enter the building at 58th and Walnut anyway, sparking a physical confrontation with officers that mushroomed into a series of fights in the school, which was locked down for a time. Additional police officers also rushed to the scene.

Two students were charged with assaulting police, one was charged with assaulting a teacher, and 17 were charged with disorderly conduct.

Candace Carter, a senior at Sayre, said that 50 police officers swarmed the school, brandishing batons, tasering students, and beating one. She said that students have been unfairly tagged.

"We as students and human beings have rights and we would like them to be respected," said Carter. "We want people to know that we're not animals, monsters and crack babies."

Lt. Frank Vanore, spokesman for the Philadelphia Police Department, said that news of the students' demonstration was the first he had heard of misconduct allegations.

"I don't know of a complaint, and if we do have one, it will be thoroughly investigated," Vanore said. "If there's no complaint, we'll go through school climate and safety people to make sure the students know what to do if they want to make a complaint."

Vanore said a "multiple assist" call was put out that day - meaning a call for multiple backup officers was made - but he did not know how many officers were at the school that day.

The protestors - organized by the Philadelphia Student Union, a grassroots group active at several high schools around the city - said they wanted officers suspended, but said they had not yet made their complaints to police.

At the time of the incident, the Philadelphia School District reported no injuries, a contention the students dispute. They say one classmate was treated at an area hospital.

Fernando Gallard, a district spokesman, said today that "if there was an emergency vehicle called by the school, we would have known about it." However, he said, it is possible a student sought treatment outside of school.

Gayle Daniels, Sayre's principal, could not be reached for comment. Today was a school holiday, with no class for students or staff.

The students who rallied outside Sayre today said that the day of the fight was confusing and frightening.

Maurice Scott, 18, a junior, was sitting in his third period lunch when the brawl broke out.

"All of a sudden, the officers came in and just started throwing people down on the floor," he said. "They were arresting and beating people up. They told us not to leave the cafeteria, but I was scared. I didn't want to get arrested."

Scott said the show of force was excessive.

"Why would they do that? We're just kids," he said.

Matthew Johnson, a senior at Sayre, called it a "depressing" place, with a lack of qualified teachers and supplies, including textbooks.

"I don't think of it as a school anymore," Johnson said. "I think of it as a prison. It's not really a learning environment."

Isiah Enoch, a senior, said his English class has had multiple substitutes and just got its third teacher.

"If we're acting up, it's because we're not learning," Enoch said.

Johnson and others said students feel isolated, with juniors and seniors cut off from freshmen and sophomores. They want more of a sense of school community, to be able to set up a peer mentoring program.

They want school police officers to be better trained in de-escalation tactics. They want a meeting with James Golden, the head of safety for the district.

Gallard, the district spokesman, said if the students formally request a meeting with Golden, it will likely happen.

He said the district has investigated claims that students do not have enough books and found them untrue. The students said that in nearly every class, there are either no textbooks or just one set, meaning books cannot be taken home.

"I think the misunderstanding is that the students think they should be able to take reference books home," said Gallard, adding that if books are too heavy or not necessary to take home, the district will keep just one set. "It's not based on budget, it's based on what is the appropriate school book management policy."

Gallard said the district will sit down with students and get a list of specific books they say they're missing.

In 2003, Sayre was transformed from a middle school to one of the small high schools that has become popular around the city. But the promise of a more orderly learning environment has not materialized.

Last year, a 17-year-old student was shot outside Sayre in what authorities called a gang turf dispute.