After school hours, two large groups of European American and Latino students began to fight outside the school. Teachers and administrators did not intervene out of fear for personal safety. The next day mediation occurred between the two groups. All teachers later attended a harassment workshop. These actions seemed to be temporarily effective.
Mediation is still in place, but the problem remains.
Because staff feared for their own safety, they or the administration should have called in law enforcement to stop the physical confrontation. Administrative staff should have invoked school disciplinary procedures and applied them appropriately to all students involved. Any effect on students who may have been victims of harassment in the situation should be addressed fully and steps should be taken to prevent future recurrence. A school environment that does not forbid fights between groups of students indicates not only a lack of physical safety for all students, but also a high tolerance for acts of discrimination and harassment. While mediation is one effective means of prevention, larger school climate issues should be addressed through curriculum, training, and school policy.