SROs v. Private Security (Or Lawsuit City)

The young man was accosted by three other boys outside his high school (still on school property). A private security guard ran to the young man's rescue. No, wait, he didn't. The young man being attacked was the smallest; the security guard picked him up, turned him upside down, and then pounded him into the concrete. The young boy required emergency surgery, and it's still unknown if he will ever be the same.

Think this couldn't happen here? The above incident happened in May of this year at Jemison High School in Huntsville where private security guards are used instead of SROs. These guards have no arrest powers, and their level of training is unknown. The injured student's family has already initiated a lawsuit against the security company and Huntsville City Schools.

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We've related the above cautionary tale since we've been getting some very differing accounts of just who and what the City of Rogersville is seeking to fund at their school. A School Resource Officer is an actual law officer who is assigned to a school - definitely not private security. 

If Rogersville paid the salary of this person, or funneled the money to the Lauderdale County Board of Education to pay the salary, this person would not be an SRO. We have no idea at this point if the latter is the case here or if individuals are simply confused about the matter.

The salient point is that if this is private security, Lauderdale County High School, the BOE, and the city itself could be setting itself up for quite a lawsuit. But, hey, it's only taxpayer money.