GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. — Needwood Middle School was the site of heated controversy earlier this year. In May, eight girls went head to head in a brawl that ended in the permanent expulsion of five.
Five girls have been permanently kicked out of Glynn County Public Schools.
"Kids do make mistakes. Depending on the situation, kids should have a second chance," parent Cynthia Copeland said.
The girls' families do too. They want the local Board of Education to overturn the decision.
Chairman Hank Yeargan says a tribunal committee came up with the punishment; he and his colleagues just voted to uphold it.
"It was a majority decision by the Board," he explained.
Several Needwood staff members tried to break up the fight and got injured in the process. Yeargan said that played a big part in their decision-making.
"There were four teachers that we know had to receive treatment through emergency clinics or the emergency room that day," he continued.
Some allege the violent behavior stemmed from gang activity, but the district doesn't know that for sure. The case is now being reviewed by the State Board of Education in Atlanta, which can decide whether to reverse the expulsion.
"They should be to get the help they need to better themselves and the tools to learn how to become better students," Copeland said.
The State Board of Education is expected to have a decision back within the next 40 to 60 days.
In the meantime, the girls have enrolled in online courses or chosen the home-school route.
WJAX
