The principal of Clark Middle School in Anchorage, which critics have dubbed “Fight Club,” has been recognized by her peers for excellence.
The Anchorage School District said it is proud of Bennetta Orchitt, who was named Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals’ Region IV Principal of the Year.
“An educator for 15 years, Principal Orchitt’s staff share that she has a balance of common sense, proper procedures and protocol that has earned the love, trust, and support of her entire staff and student body.”
Well, maybe not all of the student body.
One student’s body was beaten badly by a gang of girls last month. She is still recovering from injuries and has been threatened by students that if she returns to Clark Middle School, she’ll “get jumped” again.
The girl’s story was told at Must Read Alaska last week: She was standing in the gymnasium during class when a group approached her and started punching, kicking her body, and pulling her hair. These were girls who had, according to accounts, threatened her in the past and called her race-related names and words like “albino.”
The attackers had been let out of school early and had come to the gym apparently for the purpose of targeting and beating up the girl. The beating continued until a teacher finally intervened. Two of the girls have since been charged with assault; others may be charged as well. The original story is here:
The mother of the girl told Must Read Alaska that she had reached out to the principal several times over weeks starting in January, when her daughter was first enrolled, to share her concerns about her daughter being bullied, but it took over a dozen contacts with the school administration before she could even meet with the principal. She does not feel the school had taken the threats seriously.
New video has emerged showing the attack from a different angle:
Other parents have since reached out to the mother saying they have videos from the incident that show other students were involved in kicking the girl. Parents with children at Clark have also reached out to the mother to relay their children’s similar safety issues.
Listen to the mother, Natasha Guthrie, talk about the conditions of violence and lack of accountability by faculty at Clark Middle School in this Instagram link. Or watch the video here:
Clark Middle School has a history of violence. Last year the campus was locked down after a major fight broke out that was not controllable by campus security and required several police officers to come in to bring order.
“It has been amazing the number of people who have reached out and who want to join in and speak out. The community support and outpour of has been absolutely amazing. Every time someone calls me I’m in tears because of the things that they say, and the help they offer,” Guthrie said.
