Page 2A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Area N e ws
Gwinnett County
Fight at Mill Creek posted on video sites
BY KRISTI REED
S everal students are facing criminal charges and
school disciplinary measures stemming from
their involvement in a large fight at Mill Creek
High School last week.
Jorge Quintana, Director of Media Relations for
Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), confirmed
that a large fight did take place at Mill Creek before the
start of school on Tuesday.
“It is something that is out of the norm for Mill Creek,”
he said. “The school is investigating to find the students
involved in the fight and disciplinary action will take
place as well as criminal charges that are pending.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, criminal charges had not
yet been filed as police continue their investigation
into the incident. According to GCPS spokesperson
Sloan Roach, charges are pending against at least six
students.
The altercation involved members of a group calling
itself “2-1.” School officials are currently investigating
“2-1” to determine whether or not the group is a gang.
The fight was captured on video by a student using a
cell phone camera.
The 3:45 second video shows several students argu
ing. Racial slurs and profanity are clearly audible
throughout the exchange. At least three Mill Creek staff
members are shown trying to disperse the crowds prior
to the physical altercation.
One teacher is shown separating the two primary
parties in the incident. As the teacher turns away, one
student attacks the other sending both crashing into a
display case in the hallway.
As the fight escalates, several staff members can be
seen trying to separate the combatants. Just before the
video ends, students are shown continuing to argue with
each other.
The video of the March 18 incident was initially post
ed on YouTube, a popular video sharing web site. By
the time the video was removed Wednesday afternoon,
it had been viewed more than 3,600 times and had over
190 comments posted.
The student who posted the video, “Brandonl38”,
wrote: “The guy in red, Kevin, fought that other guy
Skip, because of a gang called 2-1 that the guy in red
is in. Skip said f— 2-1 and those 2-1 guys as you see,
proceeded to jump him. Kid in the red is a p- for sucker
punching him though.”
The posting was accompanied by numerous racially
charged comments as well as several seemingly gang-
related ones.
One comment in particular refers to being “jumped
in,” a common gang initiation practice. The poster
wrote: “kevins full of bull—. if 2-1 ever messes with
skip or any of my homeboys again... i swear man. fake
ass n . yall didnt even get jumped in and yall expect
to jump people out? F lames.”
“DashalWilliams” wrote: “yea but wen u see a fight
wit my brotha itz important to me cuz he my brotha s—
he family to me both of demz.”
Though the video was removed from YouTube, within
hours it had reappeared on several sites, including
Google videos.
On Google, the anonymous poster wrote: “This video
documents the fight that took place on March 18th 2008
in the halls of Mill Creek High School. I am taking the
time to repost it in order to counter the censorship that
it has undergone thanks to youtube and the people run
ning our school.”
Principal addresses safety, security issues at school
BY KRISTI REED
Increased security remains in
place at Mill Creek High School
after a March 18 fight involving
several students at the state’s largest
high school.
After three fights over a two-
day period, Mill Creek High School
principal Jim Markham sought last
week to reassure parents concerned
about the safety of students at the
school.
Markham said he would be con
ducting a thorough review of school
security measures as well as com
pleting a thorough analysis of staff
response to the incident.
“Mill Creek is a very safe school,”
Markham said. “The perception that
we are unsafe is unfounded. Our
kids are very safe here.”
Six students are facing criminal
charges, including fighting and dis
ruption of a school, after a physi
cal altercation at Mill Creek High
School on March 18.
According to Gwinnett County
Public Schools spokesperson Sloan
Roach, the investigation is ongo
ing and charges have not yet been
filed. Roach said investigators are
verifying the facts of the incident
and reviewing video surveillance
to make sure that all the students
involved have been identified.
The fight received widespread
media attention and raised parent
concerns after video of the fight
was posted on several web sites.
Two smaller fights the following
day prompted Markham to address
students and parents regarding the
incidents.
In a video posted on
the school’s website,
Markham said he wanted
parents to know three
things: “One, we are on
duty at all times. We do
not turn our backs when
students get into alterca
tions at Mill Creek. Two,
we have a plan to main
tain the security of our
school and, three, fight
ing is not the norm for behavior at
Mill Creek.”
SECURITY CONCERNS
With over 4,000 students. Mill
Creek High School has the larg
est student population of any high
school in the state. The 457,000
square foot school was built to
house 3,250 students. With numer
ous points of entry and exit, physical
security is a real concern for school
administrators.
“We have a safety and securi
ty plan,” Markham said. The plan
includes not only physical security
of the building, but training of teach
ers and staff in how to handle any
emergency situation that may arise.
While the school is not current
ly equipped with metal detectors,
Markham said other security mea
sures are in place. With the excep
tion of the bathrooms, every part
of the school is under video sur
veillance, according to Markham.
The school has security personnel
on duty prior to and after school.
Additionally, school staff is assigned
to monitor halls and common areas
MARKHAM
during the school day.
There is also one school
resource officer assigned
to the Mill Creek cluster,
but that officer’s time is
divided between the high
school and the middle
and elementary schools
in the cluster.
According to Markham,
school personnel wear
photo identification at
all times and are trained
to approach any unfamiliar persons
within the school and offer assis
tance. The school also has security
personnel to monitor the parking
lots.
Since the March 18 fight, Markham
has increased the number of school
personnel monitoring the halls, com
mon areas and grounds.
INTENDED TO FIGHT
At the time Tuesday’s fight took
place, four teachers, a security guard
and a school administrator were
actively trying to calm the large
group of students when the situation
See SAFETY on page 6A
Election
Stan Evans running for seventh term as sheriff
Long-time Jackson County sheriff Stan
Evans has announced that he is seeking a
seventh term in office. Evans, whose tenure
began Jan. 1, 1985, is completing his 24th
year as sheriff.
“I look forward to completing my seventh
term and completing the transition into and
successful operation of the new Jackson
County Jail which was began just a short
time ago,” Evans said.
“Also, the many challenges that a grow
ing community experiences and the many
uniquely different situations that present
themselves on a daily basis are of the utmost impor
tance to me.” he added.
“I want to thank the citizens of Jackson County for
allowing me to serve as their sheriff for these 24 years
and the great support they have given not just myself,
but the entire sheriff’s office. It is truly a team effort on
the part of Jackson County citizens and their sheriff’s
office for a truly effective law enforcement operation. I
am most appreciative of their continued confidence and
EVANS
ask for each Jackson County citizen’s vote
and support.”
Evans, a lifelong resident of Jackson County,
is married to Cathy Golden from Commerce,
and has two children, Kelsey, age 14 and
Carter, age 8. He is the son of Loyd and
Carolyn Wilkes Evans of Jefferson. Evans is a
member of Bethany United Methodist Church
in the Brockton community, the Jefferson
Lions Club, Georgia and National Sheriff’s
Association, Jackson County Farm Bureau,
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce,
Independent Funeral Directors Association of
Georgia, Georgia County Officers Association and the
Peace Officers Association of Georgia.
Evans is a graduate of Jefferson High School, Gupton-
Jones School of Mortuary Science and Georgia Police
Academy. Evans owns a funeral home and cemetery in
Jefferson. He served as Jackson County coroner from
1980 to 1984 and was elected sheriff of Jackson County
at the age of 25 and was the youngest in the state at the
time.
Barrow County
Neighbors oppose special use permit
BY KRISTI REED
The Barrow County Planning
Board had a split vote at Thursday
night’s meeting regarding a special
use permit that would allow heavy
equipment to be stored on property
located at 105 Dunahoo Road.
With only four commission mem
bers in attendance and no way to
break a 2-2 tie, the permit request
will now proceed to the Board of
Commissioners without a recom
mendation from the planning board.
District 2 board member Wayne
Alexander and District 5 board mem
ber Howard Hawthorne voted to
deny the request for the special use
permit. Scott Hang, District 6, and
at-large commissioner Chet Holiday
voted in favor of the request.
The request will go before the
Submit your school or
social news from Braselton,
Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Mill
Creek, South Hall, Barrow
County or West Jackson
by e-mailing news@main-
streetnews.com, faxing items
to 706-387-5421 or calling
706-367-5986.
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www.HometownCB.com ftSUf
Barrow Board of Commissioners on
April 22 for a final decision.
Applicant Chris Mann requested
permission to store heavy equipment
on his 7.33 acres on Donahoo Road.
Mann said he uses the equipment
for his grading business and would
occasionally use the equipment on
his property for agricultural pur
poses. The dump trucks, tractors,
bobcat and other equipment would
be stored within a 75' by 65’ barn on
the property.
Four owners of neighboring prop
erty attended the hearing to voice
their opposition to the permit.
Lee Lovett, a resident of
Windemere Subdivision, told the
planning board that Mann’s prop
erty is surrounded by subdivisions
and private homes. Lovett said the
grading business is “totally out of
character for the area.”
Lovett expressed concerned about
the noise from the heavy machinery,
the effect on resale values of neigh
boring property and Mr. Mann’s
irregular hours of operation.
Mann admitted that he does occa
sionally have heavy equipment
entering and leaving the property in
the middle of the night.
In other business, the planning
commission recommended approval
for a request to rezone 7.28 acres on
Holsenbeck School Road from AG
to AR and 1.04 acres from AG to
R-l. The acreage will be split into
two tracts for the purpose of build
ing two single family homes. That
request will also go before the BOC
on April 22.
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