50 students expelled after fight at African-Centered College Preparatory Academy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Public School officials are cracking down on students from the African-Centered College Preparatory Academy after a fight that ended with three students and an administrator being sent to the hospital.

The fight happened at the school on Friday. Fifty students were expelled on Monday for the fight. Students on Monday showed up to school facing a dress code inspection. More than 100 were sent home for not passing, including 10th-grader Poshay Jackson, who was sent home for having an orange logo on her shoes.

"Normally, we could wear all these shoes, but now, since the district is up here, now they want to take it all serious. Like we can't wear this and we can't wear that," Jackson said.

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District officials and security guards spent Tuesday morning at the school. Those not in dress code were forced to wait outside.

"We out here cold," Jackson said. "Everybody got a jacket. I ain't got nothing cuz they going to tell me yesterday I couldn't wear no sweater, so now I come to school without a sweater, and they trip about my shoes."

Parents were also surprised by the strict enforcement of the dress code.

"When school started, they should have said they need to wear black shoes. They should have everything straight," Parent Sharece Shalby said. "And now that these kids are wearing different colored shoes -- now, they want to send him home. Parents have to come up here every day."

Stephen Green, superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, and his staff were at the academy Monday and Tuesday -- a move he plans to continue making until he sees improvement at the school.

The 100 sent home on Tuesday were expected to come back to school Wednesday following the dress code; however, the 50 sent home on Monday, were sent home permanently.

"Some of the students had some pretty extensive records of on-going confrontation with teachers, on-going fights or initiative fights, or being in fights and so those made the list," he said.

The fight on Friday started after a fire alarm was pulled, and ended when school security maced the students involved. Three students and a vice principal were sent to local hospitals with minor injuries after they were exposed to the mace. Others were treated on the scene.

After the incident, the school district released a statement saying there will be a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive behavior starting Monday, and that "St udents that do not adhere to the (code of conduct) will be removed from the school."

RELATED | KCPS release statement after incident http://bit.ly/SyKl3e

In the release, KCPS officials also said that additional staff will be assigned to the academy, and new disciplinary policies will be put in place.