Whitman Letter to Parents about Fight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re never going to publicly name the students involved.

It’s a privacy issue, especially because they’re most likely minors. Unless one of them was over 18 and was actually arrested and charged, nothing will ever be made public.

I assume most people would want the same consideration if their kid happened to be involved somehow—even as a victim.

FERPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Students involved will receive consequences per the MCPS Student Code of Conduct."

If your student was a victim, is this enough?

It will never feel like enough when it's your child that was assaulted, especially if restorative justice is involved. However, parents receive the code of conduct from schools and if parents don't agree with it, they can transfer their students to a private school.

If a child is assaulted, the punishment will go through the court system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re never going to publicly name the students involved.

It’s a privacy issue, especially because they’re most likely minors. Unless one of them was over 18 and was actually arrested and charged, nothing will ever be made public.

I assume most people would want the same consideration if their kid happened to be involved somehow—even as a victim.

FERPA

Read the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Students involved will receive consequences per the MCPS Student Code of Conduct."

If your student was a victim, is this enough?

If there is a “victim” it’s assault and they will be arrested.

According to whom?

Maryland law

Technically, it’s not illegal to have a fight, if two parties agree to fight but it is against the code of conduct in schools.

If one person attacks another person, and that person did not agree to fight that is considered an assault, and that is against the law.

Right, and what we saw in the video did not in any way look like a consensual, even sided fight. The guy was barricaded in the bathroom by this group and repeatedly kicked in the head.

Additionally, the law does make different rules for people that show extreme violence during fights, or take what could be deadly action. For example, charging people who fought with their fists with "assault with a deadly weapon" if they do serious damage. This would certainly qualify, by any measure.

Then both the principal and the community should stop calling it a fight or an altercation.

If it’s an assault people need to say a child was assaulted at school.

You are right and everyone would agree. And then there is Optics MCPS.

[Anonymous]

I’m astonished that a group of moms would share this video without obscuring the faces of these minors. I would have thought they would want to at least protect the identity of the victim.

Is “Moms for Liberty” the same hate group that’s all about banning books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a horrible letter.

+1. He sounds like he's talking to 5 year olds.

That's a fairly accurate description of most parents. At least the ones whining here.

Gotta love MCPS admin. You always tell on yourselves.

+1000. And hes not even denying it. Too stupid to realize how theyre perceived

Irony is dead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a horrible letter.

+1. He sounds like he's talking to 5 year olds.

That's a fairly accurate description of most parents. At least the ones whining here.

Gotta love MCPS admin. You always tell on yourselves.

+1000. And hes not even denying it. Too stupid to realize how theyre perceived

Irony is dead.

You realize that that’s what voice to text does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a horrible letter.

+1. He sounds like he's talking to 5 year olds.

That's a fairly accurate description of most parents. At least the ones whining here.

Gotta love MCPS admin. You always tell on yourselves.

+1000. And hes not even denying it. Too stupid to realize how theyre perceived

Irony is dead.

You realize that that’s what voice to text does.

Voice type knows how to use apostrophes. The ironically stupid poster doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a horrible letter.

+1. He sounds like he's talking to 5 year olds.

That's a fairly accurate description of most parents. At least the ones whining here.

Gotta love MCPS admin. You always tell on yourselves.

+1000. And hes not even denying it. Too stupid to realize how theyre perceived

Irony is dead.

You realize that that’s what voice to text does.

Voice type knows how to use apostrophes. The ironically stupid poster doesn’t.

My voice to text often forgets the apostrophe

B

[Anonymous]

It is interesting that the letter to Whitman parents is so different than the letter that went to BCC students after a big fight a few weeks ago (that letter was also posted on a different thread). The one below is far more detailed.

B-CC Serious Incident - 1/17/25


Dear Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Community,

I am writing to inform you about a serious incident that occurred this morning and the actions taken to address it. During this incident, two students attacked a third student, resulting in physical injuries. A staff member quickly intervened, de-escalating the situation and brought the students involved to the office. The police were called, and both the police and the school began an investigation.

The school nurse assessed the victim, who was later taken to the hospital by their parents. Additionally, another student recorded the incident, and while the video has since been deleted, it did make its way to social media. I strongly urge everyone in our community to refrain from sharing or reposting such content, as it only amplifies harm and trauma.

I am always saddened when sharing information about incidents such as this. When students resort to physical violence rather than working to find productive ways to resolve conflicts, it impacts our overall school environment and can endanger other members of our school community. While we are continuing our work to address this incident in accordance with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct, I can confirm that all of the involved students will not be attending school in the coming days. In addition, we need to work together to ensure that our students find ways to resolve conflicts appropriately.

How You Can Support at Home:

Monitor and limit social media use. Many conflicts arise from social media posts, group chats, and hurtful messages.

Encourage your child to seek support from a counselor or administrator if they are struggling with peer interactions or experiencing bullying.

Reinforce the importance of respecting others, even in disagreement.

Talk to your child about avoiding confrontational situations and reporting concerns to an adult.


I am also concerned about the actions of students who may choose to film events like this. When these events are filmed, they encourage fights, glorifying violence and disrupting our learning environment. I want to be clear: any student who uses their phone to film or incite violence, as well as those who are directly involved in the fight, may face disciplinary consequences in line with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.

At Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, we are committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all students. It will take all of us working together to achieve this goal. Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we navigate this challenging situation. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s administrator if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Shelton Mooney, Ed.D.

Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is interesting that the letter to Whitman parents is so different than the letter that went to BCC students after a big fight a few weeks ago (that letter was also posted on a different thread). The one below is far more detailed.

B-CC Serious Incident - 1/17/25


Dear Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Community,

I am writing to inform you about a serious incident that occurred this morning and the actions taken to address it. During this incident, two students attacked a third student, resulting in physical injuries. A staff member quickly intervened, de-escalating the situation and brought the students involved to the office. The police were called, and both the police and the school began an investigation.

The school nurse assessed the victim, who was later taken to the hospital by their parents. Additionally, another student recorded the incident, and while the video has since been deleted, it did make its way to social media. I strongly urge everyone in our community to refrain from sharing or reposting such content, as it only amplifies harm and trauma.

I am always saddened when sharing information about incidents such as this. When students resort to physical violence rather than working to find productive ways to resolve conflicts, it impacts our overall school environment and can endanger other members of our school community. While we are continuing our work to address this incident in accordance with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct, I can confirm that all of the involved students will not be attending school in the coming days. In addition, we need to work together to ensure that our students find ways to resolve conflicts appropriately.

How You Can Support at Home:

Monitor and limit social media use. Many conflicts arise from social media posts, group chats, and hurtful messages.

Encourage your child to seek support from a counselor or administrator if they are struggling with peer interactions or experiencing bullying.

Reinforce the importance of respecting others, even in disagreement.

Talk to your child about avoiding confrontational situations and reporting concerns to an adult.


I am also concerned about the actions of students who may choose to film events like this. When these events are filmed, they encourage fights, glorifying violence and disrupting our learning environment. I want to be clear: any student who uses their phone to film or incite violence, as well as those who are directly involved in the fight, may face disciplinary consequences in line with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.

At Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, we are committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all students. It will take all of us working together to achieve this goal. Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we navigate this challenging situation. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s administrator if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Shelton Mooney, Ed.D.

Principal

Yup. Which goes to show the claims about "privacy" tying people's hands are BS. The level of details is up to the discretion of the principal. That's the biggest driving force.

[Anonymous]

He should have said these perpetrators will be dealt with the maximum punishment and due process allowed by the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a horrible letter.

+1. He sounds like he's talking to 5 year olds.

That's a fairly accurate description of most parents. At least the ones whining here.

Gotta love MCPS admin. You always tell on yourselves.

+1000. And hes not even denying it. Too stupid to realize how theyre perceived

Irony is dead.

You realize that that’s what voice to text does.

Voice type knows how to use apostrophes. The ironically stupid poster doesn’t.

My voice to text often forgets the apostrophe

B

Voice type won’t write things that aren’t words like theyre and hes. That’s not the way voice type works.

I don’t super care about this argument, but the person with no apostrophes clearly wrote that themselves. The irony stands.