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American Morning

Brawl in Pittsburgh Mars Last Day of School

Aired June 18, 2003 - 07:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: End of the school year, meantime, there is a story out of Pittsburgh, Daryn, right now. A brawl marred the end of the school year at one school, Peabody High. On Monday, the last day of classes, some girls started fighting, and students say the brawling is an end-of-year ritual. It happens every year, some say.
School officials deny such tradition existing there. In a statement on Monday, officials for the school say no one was injured, no weapons were used, police called as a preventive measure and that the fights were -- quote -- "minor skirmishes involving about 10 girls from the school."

Latonya Anthony graduated from Peabody about a year ago. She videotaped the brawl on that tape you just saw. Marcella Rucker just finished her junior year at the school. And they are both with us this morning live in Pittsburgh.

Good morning to both of you.

LATONYA ANTHONY, FORMER PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Hi, good morning.

MARCELLA RUCKER, PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Good morning.

HEMMER: Marcella, you were at school on Monday? What were students saying?

RUCKER: They was just, like, talking about what was going to happen as soon as the bell rung and when school would let out (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And it happened. There was just fights everywhere.

HEMMER: What were they saying was going to happen?

RUCKER: They was going to fight people, like, the people that they were going to fight, they warned them. They were all ready. And they just walked up to each other and started banging.

HEMMER: Yes, was this juniors, was it seniors, was it both?

RUCKER: It was freshmen and sophomores.

HEMMER: Freshmen and sophomores? So, the underclassmen, even much younger than the ones I had mentioned, is that right?

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Yes, and why did this break out? What was the grudge here?

RUCKER: Just hate and jealousy, really.

HEMMER: Jealousy over what?

RUCKER: I don't know. Over each other, I mean. I don't know.

ANTHONY: Just fights.

RUCKER: Just fights.

ANTHONY: Just to get it over with.

HEMMER: Yes, it seems a little silly to you guys, doesn't it?

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Latonya, you went to the school. You're not a student there now, but you're the one that had that camera. What were you thinking and seeing when you walked up to the scene?

ANTHONY: I was just thinking a whole bunch of underclassmen was fighting just to get it over with, like usual. It's usually just a fight every year, so they always fight and get it over with every year.

HEMMER: You say "every year." Did it happen every year you were there?

ANTHONY: Yes, most of the time, yes.

HEMMER: Every year, though, or some years yes and some years no?

ANTHONY: Some years yes; some years, no.

HEMMER: OK, the reason I asked that is because the school is saying it's only water fights and water balloons. Has that been the case in the past?

ANTHONY: Yes. And that breaks out to fights, so that can break out to fights.

HEMMER: When the two of you were there, how long did it take for police to arrive? Were they on the scene already?

ANTHONY: No.

RUCKER: No.

ANTHONY: It was just our school police that's usually there. They were there first, and then the police came in about...

RUCKER: Like, after fourth fight.

ANTHONY: Yes, after the fourth fight.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: The fourth fight? How long did this go on?

ANTHONY: This went on for about an hour, an hour-and-a-half.

HEMMER: An hour?

RUCKER: Yes.

ANTHONY: Yes. Like, the fight went from here to there, to there to here. Everywhere.

HEMMER: Yes, what about injuries? What about people trying to step in and break it up prior to your own security arriving?

ANTHONY: There were a couple of boys trying to break it up, because I guess they were trying to help. They usually try to help, the boys do. So, they were trying to help the school police at first, and then the real police came with their mace and I guess the real police maces anybody, sometimes. It depends. But they usually mace anybody who is around, so I guess they didn't want to be around.

HEMMER: Yes, do you think the school could have done something to stop this before it happened? Or do you think this is just high school students being high school students?

ANTHONY: High school students being high school students. I don't think nothing could have been done.

RUCKER: I mean, if it happens every year, they could of did something about it, at least warn officials about it.

ANTHONY: Yes.

HEMMER: What about next year? Do you think they'll step in and stop it before it happens then?

RUCKER: I hope they do.

ANTHONY: Yes.

RUCKER: That will make them look bad.

HEMMER: It will make them what, Marcella?

RUCKER: It will make them look back if they don't do nothing next year.

HEMMER: Yes, what are students saying right now? School is out for the summer. This is left behind them. And they're saying what?

ANTHONY: They think it's left behind them, but as soon as the beginning of the next school year starts, they will probably be suspended for 10 days. That's usually how it goes.

HEMMER: All right, we will see, 10 days possibly. Marcella Rucker, Latonya Anthony, thanks for talking with us in Pittsburgh. And have a safe summer, OK?

ANTHONY: OK.

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Don't get involved in that stuff, all right?

RUCKER: We won't. We won't.

HEMMER: All right. I'll play the role of your father today, but my job is over now. See you later. Have a good day, OK?

ANTHONY: OK.

RUCKER: You, too.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired June 18, 2003 - 07:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: End of the school year, meantime, there is a story out of Pittsburgh, Daryn, right now. A brawl marred the end of the school year at one school, Peabody High. On Monday, the last day of classes, some girls started fighting, and students say the brawling is an end-of-year ritual. It happens every year, some say.
School officials deny such tradition existing there. In a statement on Monday, officials for the school say no one was injured, no weapons were used, police called as a preventive measure and that the fights were -- quote -- "minor skirmishes involving about 10 girls from the school."

Latonya Anthony graduated from Peabody about a year ago. She videotaped the brawl on that tape you just saw. Marcella Rucker just finished her junior year at the school. And they are both with us this morning live in Pittsburgh.

Good morning to both of you.

LATONYA ANTHONY, FORMER PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Hi, good morning.

MARCELLA RUCKER, PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Good morning.

HEMMER: Marcella, you were at school on Monday? What were students saying?

RUCKER: They was just, like, talking about what was going to happen as soon as the bell rung and when school would let out (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And it happened. There was just fights everywhere.

HEMMER: What were they saying was going to happen?

RUCKER: They was going to fight people, like, the people that they were going to fight, they warned them. They were all ready. And they just walked up to each other and started banging.

HEMMER: Yes, was this juniors, was it seniors, was it both?

RUCKER: It was freshmen and sophomores.

HEMMER: Freshmen and sophomores? So, the underclassmen, even much younger than the ones I had mentioned, is that right?

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Yes, and why did this break out? What was the grudge here?

RUCKER: Just hate and jealousy, really.

HEMMER: Jealousy over what?

RUCKER: I don't know. Over each other, I mean. I don't know.

ANTHONY: Just fights.

RUCKER: Just fights.

ANTHONY: Just to get it over with.

HEMMER: Yes, it seems a little silly to you guys, doesn't it?

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Latonya, you went to the school. You're not a student there now, but you're the one that had that camera. What were you thinking and seeing when you walked up to the scene?

ANTHONY: I was just thinking a whole bunch of underclassmen was fighting just to get it over with, like usual. It's usually just a fight every year, so they always fight and get it over with every year.

HEMMER: You say "every year." Did it happen every year you were there?

ANTHONY: Yes, most of the time, yes.

HEMMER: Every year, though, or some years yes and some years no?

ANTHONY: Some years yes; some years, no.

HEMMER: OK, the reason I asked that is because the school is saying it's only water fights and water balloons. Has that been the case in the past?

ANTHONY: Yes. And that breaks out to fights, so that can break out to fights.

HEMMER: When the two of you were there, how long did it take for police to arrive? Were they on the scene already?

ANTHONY: No.

RUCKER: No.

ANTHONY: It was just our school police that's usually there. They were there first, and then the police came in about...

RUCKER: Like, after fourth fight.

ANTHONY: Yes, after the fourth fight.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: The fourth fight? How long did this go on?

ANTHONY: This went on for about an hour, an hour-and-a-half.

HEMMER: An hour?

RUCKER: Yes.

ANTHONY: Yes. Like, the fight went from here to there, to there to here. Everywhere.

HEMMER: Yes, what about injuries? What about people trying to step in and break it up prior to your own security arriving?

ANTHONY: There were a couple of boys trying to break it up, because I guess they were trying to help. They usually try to help, the boys do. So, they were trying to help the school police at first, and then the real police came with their mace and I guess the real police maces anybody, sometimes. It depends. But they usually mace anybody who is around, so I guess they didn't want to be around.

HEMMER: Yes, do you think the school could have done something to stop this before it happened? Or do you think this is just high school students being high school students?

ANTHONY: High school students being high school students. I don't think nothing could have been done.

RUCKER: I mean, if it happens every year, they could of did something about it, at least warn officials about it.

ANTHONY: Yes.

HEMMER: What about next year? Do you think they'll step in and stop it before it happens then?

RUCKER: I hope they do.

ANTHONY: Yes.

RUCKER: That will make them look bad.

HEMMER: It will make them what, Marcella?

RUCKER: It will make them look back if they don't do nothing next year.

HEMMER: Yes, what are students saying right now? School is out for the summer. This is left behind them. And they're saying what?

ANTHONY: They think it's left behind them, but as soon as the beginning of the next school year starts, they will probably be suspended for 10 days. That's usually how it goes.

HEMMER: All right, we will see, 10 days possibly. Marcella Rucker, Latonya Anthony, thanks for talking with us in Pittsburgh. And have a safe summer, OK?

ANTHONY: OK.

RUCKER: Yes.

HEMMER: Don't get involved in that stuff, all right?

RUCKER: We won't. We won't.

HEMMER: All right. I'll play the role of your father today, but my job is over now. See you later. Have a good day, OK?

ANTHONY: OK.

RUCKER: You, too.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.