Bullying, fights; Hundreds express frustration, anger over school safety in Santa Rosa
SANTA ROSA -- Eight grader Alexa Torres already is feeling anxious about entering high school in Santa Rosa next year.
She attends Santa Rosa Middle School and says on-campus violence has become part of her academic experience.
"I shouldn't have to go through those four years in fear," Torres told KPIX. "I shouldn't have to feel a sense of danger when I'm walking in the halls."
Torres said bullying and fighting on her middle school campus are rampant.
"Watching somebody get brutally beaten in front of school it's just brutal. It's not fun, it's definitely a weird experience I never thought I was going to have to see, but it's just been horrible, just seeing people get hurt," she said. "And teachers have to break up fights, and it's just not their job."
Torres was among the hundreds of students, parents, teachers, administrators and local residents attending an emotional listening session Tuesday evening at the Friedman Event Center. The media wasn't allowed to record speakers during the listening session to respect their privacy.
The meeting comes in the wake of the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old junior Jayden Pienta, who was killed during a classroom confrontation at Montgomery High. His death has the Santa Rosa community reeling.
Concerns about safety and resources weren't just expressed by students and parents at Montgomery High, they were shared by the community districtwide.
Students and parents made their fears and demands clear - they want to be protected and supported. They are demanding more transparency from the district, including better communication about threats on campus.
Some called for the return of school resource officers or SROs. They were disbanded after the George Floyd protests in 2020.
"We have populations that feel like SROs are really safe for them, but it's really important to understand that we have a lot of people that feel like it's almost a re-traumatization of something they've experienced in their life," said Chop's Teen Club executive director Melissa Stewart.
Stewart runs an afterschool program that serves teens in Sonoma County, including many teens from Montgomery High.
"We hear about fights almost daily and some of the bullying that's happening on campus. It's a common conversation that we're having with our youth," said Stewart.
Torres said she noticed student mental health worsened since the pandemic, and her school isn't well equipped.
"Until a couple months ago, I didn't even know we had a school therapist, these things need to be made known and made aware and that's the only way students are going to be able to get support. There's 500 students at my school and two counselors," she said.
Superintendent said Anna Trunnell said she plans to visit all campuses and assess each school's needs.
