Chicago Students at Perspectives Charter Middle School Arrested, Suspended for Food Fight, the Oldest is 15 & Youngest is 11

As far back as I can remember, there has always been instances of food fights in school cafeterias nationwide and they have mainly been harmless. Well, last Thursday at Perspectives Charter Middle School in south Chicago, a food fight broke out and more than two dozen students, ages 11 to 15, were rounded up by police, arrested and charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. I have heard of zero tolerance for bad behavior, but misdemeanor charges? That seems to be very excessive. According to one 13 year old student who was arrested, "They took us to jail, fingerprinted us, mugshotted us, or whatever, all because of a food fight...I was arrested. Handcuffs on." They were suspended, sent to jail and now have to appear in court. Why weren't these students just given detention? There have been far worst things that have happened in Chicago Public Schools that necessitated strict punishment and they fell by the wayside.

To it's credit, Perspectives Charter Middle School sends 90 percent of its graduates to college. Its stated mission is to "provide students with a rigorous and relevant education, based on 'A Disciplined Life.'" Many parents are stating that this zero tolerance approach is going too far. Zero tolerance policies were widely adopted by schools across the country after the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 -- were initially designed to keep weapons out of schools. Ten years later, the policies in many schools have expanded to include all sorts of disruptive behavior. Sorry, but treating major violations and minor infractions the same way defies common sense and logic.  That same zero tolerance didn't stop Derrion Albert from getting beaten to death near his school.

Don't get me wrong, food fights should not be condoned, but to have law enforcement come in and arrest students for such behavior is just excessive and wrong. The school can maintain strict safety standards and hold students accountable in other ways. When I was in high school, there was zero tolerance for "bad behavior" and you broke the school rules at your own peril. Still, the principal didn't call the police to arrest students, she punished them accordingly -- restriction (similar to detention), detention (which was on Saturdays at Mt. Alvernia High School in Jamaica), suspension or expulsion. Believe me, you got the message really early on in your high school years at this school. No one wanted to be seen on a Saturday in their school uniform walking up to the school.

An Illinois state judge will decide later this month whether the charges should be dismissed or upheld with a penalty of probation or community service. State law keeps juveniles' criminal records sealed until the students turn 17, and after that, their records will be wiped clean.