Are Zero Tolerance Policies the Answer to School Violence?

Detroit, MI

A teacher at Pershing High School was terminated after she broke up a fight in her classroom by swatting one of the participants with a broom.  The fight was very intense, with desks being knocked around, other students screaming, with no sign of ending anytime soon.

Tiffani Eaton, the teacher, attempted to intervene by swatting at the combatants with a broom.  Citing a violation of the corporal punishment code, the Education Achievement Authority, Detroit's school district for failing schools, terminated Ms. Eaton.  The two students were suspended, one for ten days, the other for three.

Ms. Eaton has retained an attorney, and she has a chance to appeal her termination in June.

Analysis
Best-selling author Mitch Albom weighed in on the situation, siding with Ms. Eaton.  I have also read several comments calling for a "zero-tolerance policy" on school violence.

I have looked, and I cannot find any research that shows such policies work.

In Staying Alive, we stress using research-based techniques, and techniques that are proven in the field, to prevent deadly encounters, or surviving them should they occur.  I would also stress this approach to school safety.

Zero-tolerance policies typically state that students who participate in student violence are given maximum punishments.  In this particular instance, a zero-tolerance policy would have seen both students engaged in the violence expelled.  What we did see is the teacher get fired, while the students returned.

To be fair, I do not know all the facts.  Watching the video, I personally do not see anything for which to fire the teacher.  She acted as best she could.  Perhaps the EAA could provide specific instruction to its staff on intervening in fights.  Giving the teachers the right tools to respond to such incidents can only help.

I do not know who was the aggressor in the fight, nor do I know what the facts were.  It's therefore difficult to blindly administer consequences, or render judgment on those consequences.

I do know I find this situation disquieting.