Fathers at a Louisiana high school knew something had to change after a week of violent altercations led to arrests. As a result, Michael R. La’Fitte II and a group of about 40 concerned fathers decided to support all the students.
According to a CBS News segment, which aired Friday (Oct. 22), the dedicated dads formed Dads on Duty after 23 students were arrested within the span of just three days at Southwood High School.
DADS ON DUTY: After a violent week of fighting at a Louisiana high school, parents knew something had to change. So, a group of dads decided to show up not just for their kids – but for the whole student body – to help maintain a positive environment. @SteveHartmanCBS has more. pic.twitter.com/Uux3qx48sd
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 22, 2021
All of the dads, who are part of Dads on Duty, take turns patrolling the Shreveport, Louisiana high school in shifts. They greet students as they arrive at school in the morning and “help maintain a positive environment for learning, rather than fighting,” CBS reports.
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“We’re not a security force of anyway,” La’Fitte told KSLA News. Although the parents do not have formal training in school counseling, administrators appear to be on board. “We’re dads. We decided the best people who can take care of our kids are who? Are us,” LaFitte said.
Since the dads have arrived on school grounds there’s been plenty of dad jokes, stern looks, and not one act of violence.
“I immediately felt a form of safety,” one of the students said. “We stopped fighting; people started going to class.”
“They just make funny jokes like, ‘Oh, hey, your shoe is untied,’ but it’s really not untied,” another student commented.
Students say the presence of the dads has been reassuring and adds a bright spot to their day.
Watch the CBS News clip below to learn more:
