Return of SROs?
After replacing school resource officers with unarmed safety coaches, Albemarle County Public Schools is considering bringing police back into Albemarle High School, in response to parents’ complaints about fights, truancy, vaping, sexual assault, and other student misconduct.
“Working with the police department to hire and assign a highly effective, well-trained school resource officer to work in that community will be very important,” Superintendent Matt Haas told The Daily Progress.
In October, the school division said it was investigating an incident involving members of AHS’s junior varsity football team, but did not identify it as a sexual assault. Multiple minors were charged with crimes related to the incident, according to county police.
Several parents urged the county school board not to reinstate SROs during the board’s January 12 meeting, pointing to the negative impact SROs have had on students of color and disabled students, among other marginalized groups.
Lara Harrison of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition called on the board to address the root causes of student misconduct, such as by increasing trauma informed staff training and hiring more mental health professionals. “The fact that the anti-racism policy is being touted. … It can’t live alongside having SROs,” added Amanda Moxham of the coalition.
During a January 11 meeting with school board member Judy Le, parents claimed student misconduct is occurring in bathrooms and other private spaces at AHS, reports the Progress.
In response to the backlash against his SRO proposal, Haas said during the board’s meeting that the school is working on other measures to address misconduct, including hiring a new dean of students for behavior intervention and installing single-occupancy restrooms and vape detectors.
If hiring one SRO helps reduce misconduct, Haas will try to hire more, he told the Progress. The school board will vote on any potential SRO budget requests in the spring.
Youngkin backs abortion restrictions
On the first day of Virginia’s General Assembly session, Republicans Del. Kathy Byron and Sen. Steve Newman introduced bills banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, excluding cases of rape, incest, and when the pregnant person’s life is in jeopardy. Doctors who perform abortions after this threshold could be charged with a Class 4 felony, and face up to 10 years in prison.
Other Republicans have introduced even stricter abortion measures—Del. Marie March has proposed a complete abortion ban, while Sen. Amanda Chase has filed a bill that says life “begins at conception.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin supports the 15-week ban, according to the Daily Press. He has previously said he would “gleefully” sign any legislation “to protect life.” However, with the Democratic majority in the Senate, abortion restrictions are unlikely to pass this legislative session.
Reproductive rights groups have criticized the proposed bills, while anti-abortion advocates have praised them.
“Byron’s proposed bill would deny Virginians the fundamental right to control their own bodies, lives, and futures,” said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
“[We applaud] the governor’s effort to pass a reasonable bill to move Virginia forward towards more complete protection for every human life,” said Olivia Gans Turner, president of the Virginia Society for Human Life.
In brief
Cyclist, pedestrian killed
On January 12 at around 10:55pm, a cyclist was struck by a vehicle while traveling east on the 2100 block of Ivy Road. The person was taken to the hospital, and died there of their injuries. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, had on dark clothing, and did not have bicycle lights, according to the Charlottesville Police Department. The following day, two pedestrians were hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Route 29 and Rio Road East at around 6:50pm. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was taken to the hospital.
New names
The Albemarle County School Board unanimously voted to change Meriwether Lewis Elementary School’s name to Ivy Elementary during its January 12 meeting, even though the majority of respondents to a community survey preferred keeping the name. Born in Ivy in 1774, Lewis, who led the Lewis and Clark expedition with William Clark, and his family owned slaves. Charlottesville City Schools has also launched a community survey regarding renaming Burnley-Moran and Johnson elementary schools, which honor the division’s first female principals, Carrie Burnley and Sarepta Moran—who were both active members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. A virtual forum discussing the names will be held on January 26.
Free cuts
The 100 Black Men of Central Virginia is fundraising to provide over 1,000 free haircuts at House of Cuts Barber Studio for Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s middle and high school students, in response to the recent rise in shootings. To donate, visit linktr.ee/100cuts.
