Student's slur sparks fight, suspensions

Some Gaither students say tension remains days after the incident.

By AMY HERDY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 5, 2002

TAMPA -- A fight that began with a racial remark between two Gaither High School students culminated in at least two arrests and five suspensions, officials said.

Although the fight inside the school cafeteria at noon Wednesday involved a handful of students, about 250 were present and quickly took sides, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Rod Reder. No one was seriously hurt.

"The groups were gathering," Reder said. "It was split between black and white."

Extra deputies and school security officers were called to the school Thursday and Friday, where some students wore red and black clothing to show their support for people of color.

Principal Ken Adum sent home a note to parents Thursday that downplayed the seriousness of the situation, saying that "two male students were involved in a fight" on Wednesday, and that everything since had been "normal."

Some students disagreed with that assessment, saying racial tensions continued to run high.

"It's not normal, not with everyone in red and black and cops all over the school," said sophomore Emily Rifkin, 16.

Other students wore clothing that included confederate flags, Rifkin said.

Junior Jeshua Rosado, 17, was present when the fight broke out and said it began when a white student told a black student that "all blacks and Hispanics should be locked up in cages."

"He started fighting one kid and then another jumped in," he said.

School Board spokesman Mark Hart confirmed that the fight began over race.

"Apparently the altercation stemmed from a racial slur, which we're not going to tolerate," Hart said.

One 15-year-old was charged with battery on a School Board employee after he shoved an assistant principal, a felony charge, Reder said. The Times is withholding that student's name because of his age.

Another student was charged with disrupting a school function, a misdemeanor, and the State Attorney's Office is reviewing misdemeanor charges against two more students, Reder said. He did not name them because the charges were not felonies.

Five students were suspended for 10 days in connection with the fracas, Hart said, which is the maximum discipline the School Board can impose without an administrative hearing. Of those five, Hart said, three were being recommended for expulsion.

Students said it was the first time this year racial tensions caused a fight.

"So in retaliation, we dressed up in red and black the next day," said junior Rosado. "They wore their confederate flags."

-- Amy Herdy can be reached at (813) 226-3386 or herdy@sptimes.com.

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