Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Lanphier High School‘s Assistant Principal, Chris Hampsey, was arrested for aggravated battery last week after allegedly getting involved in a physical altercation between students. He is currently out on investigative leave.
District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill emphasizes the difficulty of the situation and how the prevention of such conflicts starts at home, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch Tuesday morning.
“Our teachers and administrators are faced with an escalating number of students who do not like to follow commands by adults, and stop when asked,” said Gill. “These are important things that we need to always remember, to talk to with our kids about at home. School is not a place to fight. School is not a place to air your grievance about another student. It is a place to learn.”
Gill comments on the number of conflicts between students and the resulting consequences.
“If (students) have issues with somebody else, please reach out so that we can work through it before it becomes and escalates into a fight,” said Gill. “Our board president last (Monday) night said too many kids at this time of year have already had those altercations which are life-changing for them, because we don’t tolerate it and we don’t allow them to stay in our schools when they are behaving like that. We do need to get a handle on these things.”
Details on the altercation involving Hampsey are being kept under wraps, as this incident not only involved students, but personnel as well, under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Hamsey’s case does not exist currently in Sangamon County’s online court records system.
