Wake County Schools

Student: Police violence in Wake County schools 'is not something new'

People demonstrated in the rain outside Tuesday afternoon's Wake County school board meeting to say they want police officers out of schools.

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CARY, N.C. — People demonstrated in the rain outside Tuesday afternoon’s meeting of the Wake County Board of Education to ask that police officers be removed from schools.

Demonstrators said the district has a history of excessive force, charging kids with crimes and discriminatory practices.

Among their demands, demonstrators want to see law enforcement officers removed from schools and replaced with counselors and mental health workers.

Demonstrators pointed specifically to a recent event in Rolesville High School in which a video appeared to show an officer slamming a female student to the floor.

Among the demonstrators Tuesday afternoon was a Wake County high school student who said the incident in Rolesville is not unique.

“It is not something new. It happens all the time. Just because this time it was documented, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. This time, a student caught it on camera,” said Southeast Raleigh High School senior Ramiyah Robinson.

During Tuesday evening's school board meeting, Wake County school board Chair Monika Johnson-Hostler addressed the concerns, saying school leaders and the public should continue talking through it.

"To talk about ways in which we create a safe environment for all of our students where our students can learn and our teachers can teach and we have a healthy school community," she said.

The State Bureau of Investigation is involved in the investigation of the incident at Rolesville High School.

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