The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after an “irate” parent walked onto their campus to confront a school official, teachers at C H Reeves Junior High School held a short sit-in yesterday over safety concerns.

The sit-in lasted from 9:15am to about 11:15am, The Tribune was told.

Students were left unattended while their teachers met with the school’s principal and south eastern district superintendent.

Last Friday, a parent confronted the school’s senior master, The Tribune understands.

According to Sharon Rahming, area vice-president for the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), the “parent came to attack”, but failed to do so once the school’s principal and vice-principal arrived at the scene.

“This caused the teachers to feel unsafe,” she said yesterday, noting the teachers’ concern about security at the school.

She indicated that the tension between the parent and staff member revolved around whether the parent’s child had been beaten.

No physical altercation took place between the parent and staff member, contrary to some reports which spread over social media.

“The principal didn’t have a meeting on Friday or this morning so staff demanded the meeting yesterday,” BUT President Belinda Wilson said yesterday.

“I was able to contact the district superintendent and they were able to go there and my initial report is that the meeting went well and the principal and administration will seek to hire another security officer. That should help to beef up security and I guess teachers are going to have to be more cognisant of their surroundings.

“I’m glad that at the meeting, they were able to resolve the matter quickly and I hope the principal will be able to hire the security guard this week. But there is always in mind a need to ensure that teachers and students are safe because we want a safe and healthy environment.”

When contacted yesterday, the district superintendent downplayed yesterday’s sit-in, saying it was “nothing really of any consequence”.