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Apr 24, 2008 11:17 pm US/Eastern
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Journalist Attacked By Student Outside High School
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Violence at city schools continues.
First, a teacher was attacked. Then, a series of incidents followed.
Dennis Edwards reports a newspaper photographer is now recovering after she says a student went after her.
One student apparently tried to take the photographer's camera and pushed her to the ground in the process.
Students were on their way to class near W.E.B. Dubois High School as 24-year-old Arianne Starns, a photographer with the Baltimore Examiner, took a picture for a series on school violence.
"A couple of students started to yell at her, 'don't take our picture.' She said that she was very clear that she wouldn't take anybody's picture," said Stephen Janis.
Investigative reporter Stephen Janis interviewed Starns who told him one angry male student pushed her to the ground while trying to grab her cameras.
"Started grabbing at the cameras, trying to take them away from her. Then she got up and he pushed her again. Then he pointed his finger to her head as if to make sort of the form of a gun to threaten her, and then walked away," said Janis.
No one intervened in what Janis called a brief struggle just around the corner from Reginald Lewis High School.
Dubois and Lewis occupy the old Northern High School complex.
A few weeks ago, Lewis gained national attention when a student attacked art teacher Jolita Berry, who has decided to file criminal charges.
"I did it because I didn't want the student to think that it's something you can get away with," said Berry.
School officials issued a statement saying the incident is under investigation.
That statement goes on to say, "We take any interaction on school grounds involving our students extremely seriously. We expect appropriate behavior from our students on and off school grounds."
Teachers' Union officials say statements like that don't mean much without decisive action behind them.
"There are more threats on them now than there have ever been before. We're getting constant calls everyday about students threatening them. It's even moving down to the elementary school," said Marietta English with the Teachers' Union.
Starns did not suffer major injuries. She's shaken and a little frightened, but recovered enough to take some pictures that could lead police to her assailant.
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