Classes have been cancelled—and school closed—at Kickemuit Middle School, part of the Bristol-Warren school district. Below is a statement from the Bristol Warren Teachers’ Education Association of Rhode Island, aka the teachers’ union. While early reports were that too many teachers were sick for school to open, the statement indicates that student behavior is a major driver of this union action. Shout out to Tim White of WPRI who has been covering—and updating—this story as it unfolds. I hate sick-outs—they are a nightmare for parents and totally unfair to students. But I would like to learn more about the behavior issues they reference—the statement references escalating behaviors, physical injury to staff and concerns about their mental health. So before everyone splits into two tribes on this, let’s find out what is actually happening there.

According to a father of a former Kickemuit Middle School student who called into the Tara Granahan show on WPRO, “the lack of enforcement of discipline policies in that school is appalling.” He also contends that he has never gotten his calls returned by district superintendent Mario Andrade.

We will update the story as more details become available.