Harding High's disruptions were caused by a small number of students and are under control now, according to several speakers at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools news conference this morning.
"To me, not much has changed. I feel comfortable and safe here," said 11th-grader Roberto Martinez, an International Baccalaureate magnet student who has been at Harding three years.
Interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh, Harding Principal Alicisa Johnson, a teacher and three students spoke about questions and concerns that have been building since the westside school opened in August with a different and much larger student body.
Hattabaugh acknowledged a spike in criminal incidents and arrests, driven partly by an Oct. 26 lockdown that generated 11 of this year's 42 criminal incidents. That compares with four during the same time last school year. Harding's incident total so far this year is second only to 55 at Olympic, according to numbers Hattabaugh presented today.
Harding has had 22 arrests so far this year, topping all other CMS high schools. That compares with one at this time in 2010-11.
All speakers emphasized that most Harding students -- the neighborhood students who are new to Harding, as well as the magnet students who made up the entire school last year -- are behaving and learning. The students who have caused trouble have been dealt with, Hattabaugh and Johnson said, but they did not provide specifics.
Hattabaugh said one student, who has been removed from Harding, is under investigation for painting the graffiti that threatened something bad happening today. That student was captured on video and had paint on his gloves and hands; Hattabaugh said if the investigation concludes that student was responsible, he will recommend expulsion.
The graffiti created rumors and fears, with students talking about staying home. Johnson said she had no attendance numbers for Harding today.
Hattabaugh said students at other schools started spreading similar rumors about mayhem today, using social media.
Johnson and teacher Effuah Sam said ongoing news coverage has become part of the problem, distracting students and faculty. Johnson said TV crews have been camped outside her school for three weeks now, "waiting for something to happen."
"It's been blown out of proportion," she said. "I think the coverage is a problem."
