Quote:

"fracas" my ass - this was no insignificant brawl or cat-fight. This is a girl of 15 who has no respect for authority and prepared to use physical violence. And as for the others that joined in, they too are from the same mould.
You can guarantee that this girl and her posse will end up in prison as a result of joe / jane citizen being a violent victim in the future.

The teacher must also share some of the responsibilty for fueling the fire with mutual 'vulgar' language.

Yay we made the national news again!

Teacher left partially bald after fight

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 10 (UPI) -- A high school teacher in New Jersey lost a significant portion of her hair last week when allegedly attacked by a 15-year-old student and several classmates.

Police reports said Joanne Stephens, a teacher at Snyder High School in Jersey City, had eight braids yanked from her scalp when she was allegedly attacked by the student after they exchanged verbal insults, the Jersey Journal in Jersey City reported Saturday.

Stephens said she was pushed by the unidentified student after the two exchanged vulgar insults Thursday and was then attacked by more than eight other students.

Before a vice principal ended the fracas, Stephens said, she suffered injuries to her back and hand along with the loss of hair.

The 15-year-old was arrested by police for assault and authorities are investigating whether charges will be brought against any other students.

The Journal said the incident led to a temporary sit-in Friday by 40 other teachers at the school, who demanded that school officials take better steps to ensure their safety.

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HAIR YANKED FROM HER HEAD
Snyder teacher hurting, student arrested

Saturday, June 09, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A hair-raising beatdown at Jersey City's Snyder High School left a computer teacher partially bald and with a sore back, reports said.

The teacher, Joanne Stephens, was monitoring freshmen lunch in the basement library on Thursday when, for reasons still unknown, she engaged in vulgar and sexually explicit insults with a 15-year-old female freshman, according to police reports.


The riled 15-year-old responded by pushing the teacher in the chest, reports state.

The two then grabbed each other by the hair and fell to the ground in an all-out cat fight, reports say.

According to the statement Stephens gave police, eight to 10 other students then pounced on her and began hitting her.

Vice Principal Mildred DeSanzo, who heard the commotion and rushed in, broke up the fight, authorities said.

During the fight, eight braids were yanked from Stephens's scalp, causing a bald spot, reports said. In addition, the tussle left her with a sore back and injuries to the index and pinky fingers on her right hand, police said.

Police arrested the 15-year-old yesterday and charged her with aggravated assault, said Stan H. Eason, a spokesman for the city. She was released into the custody of her parents, Eason said.

More arrests are expected, but because Stephens was on her way to the Jersey City Medical Center on Thursday, she didn't have time to identify others involved in the fight, Eason said.

The 15-year-old, who suffered slight bruises on some fingers, and another student, have been suspended indefinitely, said Gerard Crisonino, a spokesman for the school district.

Crisonino acknowledged there are "conflicting versions" as to what caused the fight. But one thing is clear, he said: "Students can't hit teachers."

The fracas prompted roughly 40 teachers at the school to stage a mini sit-in inside the auditorium yesterday - refusing to budge until they were given assurances about their safety.

Principal Larry Odoms said if he could "bequeath" that request, he'd do it for schools across the nation.

Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps was scheduled to join Odoms in a meeting with school staff yesterday afternoon.