Middlesex County

School staff, city leaders to hold protest & walk-in responding to violence at Lawrence High School

LAWRENCE, Mass. — Teachers, school staff, and concerned community members will rally outside Lawrence High School before the morning bell on Monday in response to a rash of fights among students in recent weeks.

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Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez will also be in attendance.

The group is set to rally outside the school then stage a “walk-in” around 7:30 a.m.

In a press release, organizers point to significant understaffing that has been aggravated by a challenging back-to-school transition for many students struggling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 shutdown as possible reasons for the uptick in violence.

“The school department has failed to respond to the social and emotional needs of traumatized students,” said Kimberly Barry, president of the Lawrence Teachers Union. “We can’t just ignore the problems students bring to school with them and jump right back to test them without any effort to rebuild a school community. They’re kids, and we need to invest in staff and services that make them feel valued.”

In addition to the morning rally, there will also be an emergency meeting at the Lawrence Public Library at 7 p.m. Monday to discuss the violence and the district’s response to it.

Among the topics is the state’s receivership, which has been in place for a decade. Mayor Vasquez, the Lawrence School Committee, and the Lawrence City Council will be in attendance.

They have urged Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley and Superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools Cynthia Paris to also attend.

“Members of the public are deeply concerned about the developments at Lawrence High School,” said Mayor Vasquez. “I have done everything in my power to provide aid to the district within the constraints of receivership.”

Members of the public are invited to attend and will have the opportunity to ask questions.