NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — After four fights broke out last Thursday at Niagara Falls High School, the school is putting together some big changes.

What You Need To Know

  • Niagara Falls High School has made big changes after four fights broke out last Thursday
  • Each day since Friday, students have had their bags checked after entering the school, and students are subject to random searches with metal-detecting batons
  • Members of Niagara Falls Peacemakers, the NAACP, and Men Standing Strong Together went to NFHS on Monday to make sure no fights broke out while students waited for buses

Local groups stepped in Monday to oversee students getting on buses, since three of the four fights began after the school day ended. Tommy Sanders, a member of Niagara Falls Peacemakers, remembers feeling alone while growing up in the Falls.

"That led me to run around in school,” he said. “Start being bad, start getting into fights. It felt like I was on my own. I’m running through the halls causing all types of chaos."

That chaos included a bank robbery and 17 years between jail and prison. He’s been out for four years, and he spends that time trying to show kids a different path. Tommy was distraught to find out about the fights, which led to 21 students being suspended.

"When I hear something about this, schools fighting, especially schools fighting, especially this school, it’s damage to my ears and it’s damage to my heart," he says. "The youth should understand you come to school, learn something, get out, and go better yourself and get a better education."

The Peacekeepers joined members of the NAACP and Men Standing Strong Together to speak with students after the school day ended, and make sure there were no issues while students waited for their buses.

"I’ve been in the streets, I know the know-how,” says Sanders. “I know how to talk to the youth. I’m right here. I’m part of them. You got to learn how to talk to the youth, got to try and understand them. If you don’t understand them, then you’re not going to know anything. You’re lost, too."

Perhaps thanks to people like Tommy, there were no issues on Monday.