Fathers Form 'Dad's On Duty' Squad To Help Stop Fighting At Their Kids' High School

Nov 02, 2021 by apost team

High school students are known to have intense emotions that sometimes overwhelm them. School is a stressful environment for some students, especially considering how challenging it can be to try to fit in and keep up with school work and after-school activities. However, when a series of fights had started breaking out at a Louisiana High School at the start of the school year in 2021, a group of heroes knew exactly what to do to help keep the students safe and calm.

A group of five dads, all parents of students at Southwood High School in Shreveport, met up to figure out how to lessen the violence at their kids' school. Over the span of 72 hours, there had been almost two dozen students either arrested, suspended, or expelled for fighting. This resulted in a huge police presence at the school, which was something the students were not happy about.

A different reinforcement squad was ready to take on the task of stopping bad behavior at the high school. The fathers knew that no one else knew their kids as they did, so they decided to form a group known as "Dad's on Duty USA." For almost two months, the dads have been taking turns trading shifts to make sure someone from the group is always present at the high school.

Their efforts have already made a huge difference in the atmosphere at the high school. Not only are fewer fights breaking out, but more students are walking to class with a smile on their faces and laughter in the air.

The Dad's on Duty squad has made an incredibly positive impact on Southwood High School. According to ABC News, the dads wear T-shirts with their group's name and welcome students to school, provide support to students in need and even joke around with the kids. The group started with five dads and is still growing, with at least six to 10 dads working shifts every day during school hours and during after-school activities.

Michael LaFitte Jr., a member of Dad's on Duty, said:

"Although we're titled 'Dad's on Duty,' we also serve as uncle's on Duty, we serve as men of the community on duty. Because there are some folks who don't have a father or don't have such a great relationship with their father, and it's our goal to let them see what the right relationship with a male figure is supposed to look like."

Kim H. Pendleton, the high school's principal, said that the dads' efforts have already made a huge difference, according to ABC News. After so many fights broke out at the start of the school year, the school bumped its police presence, but the students were not happy about it. They trust the dads, though, because they are from the community.

"They care, and they're committed to being present," Pendleton said. "... They're making sure that kids are leaving school safely."

Seeing how successful the 'Dad's on Duty' has been with this Louisiana high school has encouraged them to look into expanding their resources and create more squads like this in other schools in the school district. According to ABC News, the group's end goal is to take this effort nationwide.

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What do you think about this group of fathers and their efforts to help lessen violence at their children's school? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends to find out what they think, too.