Thursday, May 28, 2009
Middle school students intervene when man assaults woman in downtown Dallas
A group of middle school students from The Pegasus Charter School, on their way to detention and community service, rescued a woman who was being attacked in downtown Dallas on Saturday.
Darlene Waller was just walking near Bryan and Akard streets when Brian Lester, 36, just started punching her. Waller was begging him to stop when the students happened by. Also yelling for him to stop, they threatened to call 911 and Lester ran away. Later the students were able to help police identify Lester, who is now in jail on an assault charge.
Posted by Erin
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Christin Richard, says:
"On their way to detention and community service"...
Petty rule breakers in school are the leaders of tomorrow.
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush, says:
Christi...I'm not sure you understand what Middle School is.
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush, says:
Christi...I'm not sure you understand what Middle School is.
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup, says:
Well,..... stories like this are pretty intresting,Why..... again, you tell this kind of story you have more cops downtown, you dont tell this kind of story and things get out of control....you ignore this story and you get caught up....then again...why does life have to always be safe or seen at a movie theatre....folks who love the safe socity are wimps,... while the surviors, there is compassion that goes with a nose bleed..A/T, Smashed my face when I was born.....
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Christin Richard, says:
Hi Travis! Am I guessing incorrectly that middle school is sort of that gray area between 6th Grade and High School? The WFAA Story described the student-heroes as attending The Pegasus Charter School for Saturday detention. My comment above was made in applause of young students taking an initiative for helping someone in a crisis in contrast with their going to school detention, presumably for breaking some school policy or rule. Therefore it might be suggested that character building spawns from those who may not always make perfect decisions, but in their taking chances, understand when to do the right thing. :-)
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
momzilla, says:
Doesn't take that much to get a d-hall these days. Most of those kids were probably there for minor (imo) dress code violations or too many tardies. Or, for that matter, toward the end of school kids with too many absences (whether excused or unexcused) often attend Saturday d-halls to make up the days.
Anonymous
6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
momzilla, says:
Sorry, got wrapped up in the minutia and forgot to say to these kids, "Good on you!" It makes a better community when random people involve themselves to help strangers.
Anonymous
6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush, says:
Uh no...Middle School and Middle College are usually last chances for many. I might be wrong about the Pegasus School, but I think most of those kids are verging on total failure, jail time, or absolute expulsion from school. I know from experience the Middle College program for the miscreants is a good thing on our campus. Some of those kids don't have any more "get out of jail" cards and certainly any chance of "passing high school" chances either.
I will tell you though, that I have seen students from the program soar and do well for themselves. They also get some college credit and and entry into college life that many probably never even considered. Better to go to school than go to jail.
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
momzilla, says:
Middle school is more or less used interchangeably for junior high: sixth through eighth grades. It doesn't have any meaning beyond that.
Anonymous
6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush, says:
I'm speaking of DISD and DCCCD entities that deal with problem students, and I probably didn't make myself clear.
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6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
momzilla, says:
I got that, TB. But are you sure that Pegasus School is part of the corrective program? I've been reading around their website and while it's a charter that accepts title one funding, it doesn't appear to be part of a specific program for problem students.
I did find where a certain number of community service hours are required by every student, but it appears that they want to make volunteerism in the community part of their mission.
Anonymous
6 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush, says:
Mom, you are probably right..I guess this phrase threw me.."on their way to detention and community service"....
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