ORLANDO, Fla. — Parents of students at Carver Middle School in Orlando say fights are breaking out almost every day after dismissal and they’re pleading for someone to step in before a child gets seriously hurt.
Janacha Ford, whose daughter attends the school, says the scenes have become far too common. She has recorded three separate fights in just the last five school days.
Channel 9 is blurring the clips Ford recorded to protect the students’ identities. Ford says something needs to be done to protect the students from themselves.
“I’m concerned someone is going to get seriously hurt,” Ford said. “Someone might die. That’s my biggest concern.”
In most cases, Ford says, the fights are happening within a block of campus. But she says the school resource officers never step in to help.
“Over here you are city, but once you cross the line you are county,” Ford said.
Channel 9 looked into it. The SROs at Carver Middle are Orlando Police officers who watch over the campus. But once students step off school grounds, they are in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. Legally, the SROs cannot police the neighborhood.
Ford says the jurisdictional gap, along with a lack of parental involvement, is a major part of the problem. She’s urging families to get involved before it’s too late.
“I want parents to see that these are your kids,” Ford said. “Let’s find a solution and come get your kids at the school.”
Channel 9 has reached out to law enforcement and Orange County Public Schools to determine who is responsible for students after the final bell and what can be done to keep them safe. This story will be updated.
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