Recently I recounted a personal experience, A Lesson from Absurdist Academia. In that entry, I detailed the lack of support I received from school administrators when faced with a discipline problem. The reality of physical violence in schools is often foreshadowed by improper behavior, violent or antisocial ideation, and open defiance toward established rules and lessons.

In a recent article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the failure of the Parkland High School administration to properly identify and seek help for Nikolas Cruz’s expressions of violent ideation and behavioral problems contributed to the subsequent mass murder on campus. The problem behaviors exhibited by Cruz should have raised multiple red flags and required psychiatric intervention.

The discipline problem in the classroom must be considered carefully. After high school, problem behavior in the classroom does not have to be tolerated. The authority of faculty to preserve the safety of their students and the integrity of their class must be recognized. It will help prevent bloodbaths in the future.