Local News

Healey says no to National Guard in Brockton High

The state is already funding a full safety audit for Brockton High School, officials announced last week.

After some school committee members recently suggested that the National Guard be brought into Brockton High School to quell violence, advocates, parents, and community members rally outside the school to show support for students and staff. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

By Molly Farrar

February 26, 2024

1 minute to read

The National Guard will not be joining the students of Brockton High School, the governor said, after some school committee members called for extra support amid escalating violence at the school earlier this month.

Gov. Maura Healey said Monday that deployment of the National Guard would not be “appropriate.” The state is already funding a full safety audit for the high school, officials announced last week.

“We want to make sure, and as governor, I want to make sure that every student and educator in the state, including in Brockton, is safe and is able to go to school and learn in a safe environment,” Healey said.

Parents rallied outside the high school Monday morning in support of the students as they returned to classes after their February recess, according to TV outlets. Many held signs with messages like “Your community is with you” and “We love our school.”

Earlier this month, Brockton School Committee members Tony Rodrigues, Claudio Gomes, Ana Oliver, and Joyce Asack wrote to Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan asking for the Guard’s “crisis management and community support” as more students fight and leave school premises during the day.

Substance abuse and trespassing were also concerns outlined by the committee members.

“These situations not only put the students and staff at risk but also undermines the overall safety of our community,” they wrote.

During a Special School Committee meeting at the end of last month, dozens of Brockton High staff members seemed frustrated as they described the escalating violence at the school. Cheri Mazzoli, an administrative assistant at the high school, said she was trampled by a crowd rushing to see a fight.

“Unfortunately, staff now feels that it’s only a matter of time before someone dies in our hallway,” Mazzoli said. “Something needs to be done.”