TRANSCRIPT - NEWS 12
Tom, thank you. I'm outside Shelton Town Hall this evening, and as you can see behind me, protests that began at five o'clock this afternoon haven't the least bit slowed down.
It all started at Shelton High at around 7 o'clock this morning, where honors student Ricky Morales (me!) was walking back to class after speaking at an event. He heard a fist fight going on down the hall, and when he observed one student, whose name has been excluded due to age, (disgusted tone of voice) beating a fellow student over the head with a steel pipe, he rushed in and fought the assailant off. But what school administrators claim is that Mr. Morales went too far.
(My jerkhead principal) - Where Mr. Morales went wrong is that he was going overboard with his quote self-defense. That student was thrown through a glass window and had his collarbone broken. Mr. Morales was not trying to break up the fight, he had other intentions to physically harm another student, and seeing a fist fight happening, he took the opportunity to brutally assault another student to an excessive degree.
Although the school's administration is firm in their accusations against Morales, students and outraged faculty members are claiming otherwise. Mr. Chaffee, Morale's AP History teacher:
(My total kick-ass history teacher) - Where I'm incredibly disturbed is that a student - let's face it - was going to die. I mean, getting hit in the head forcefully with a 10-pound pipe isn't exactly what I call a run-of-the-mill fist fight. I call it attempted murder. The school is accusing Mr. Morales of having quote other intentions? It's almost comical! Mr. Morales - I've had him in my class for two years! He's one of my most trusted and intelligent students, who is captain of every sport he plays and office holder of numerous clubs, I mean, he's president of the student council. How can you accuse a student of his caliber to be a criminal? It's absolutely preposterous. I firmly believe, in fact, (shouts) I know, that Mr. Morales's Constutional rights were grossly violated by the school and the punishment he has received in turn is absolutely preposterous.
Students, with numbers pushing near 500, today took to town hall to protest Morales's punishment. Excuse me, can you share your opinion on today's events.
(My good friend Ali from history club) It's garbage! I mean, this is modern day America? Can't we defend ourselves and others without fear of reprisal? Next time I see someone being MURDERED on the street, I will stand back and watch him die because I know I'll be punished for intervening. When you violate someone's Constitutional rights, it should be punished. That's why I'm standing behing my trusted friend and fighting this inappropriate punishment.
(Newscaster) Well, Tom, as you can see, it's a vicious debate here in Shelton tonight. The school board will reconvene Sunday afternoon to rediscuss this issue, and hundreds Shelton High students and a select few faculty members say they will not return to classes until the punishment is removed. As for the student who was assaulted at first, Evan Fitzpatrick, he's currently in Bridgeport Hospital's Intensive Care Unit with what appears to be permanant brain damage. Mr. Morales's lawyer claims that he will be suing the school district, and the assaulted young man's parents say they will also be taking the case to court. I'm Kristina Southington, News Channel 12.