Black Louisiana Dads Celebrated For Stepping Up For High School Students

Source: CBS News / CBS

In one of the best stories to come out in this early part of the fall, a group of fathers tiring of the violence at a Louisiana high school have stepped up in a major way. After a series of violent incidents at Southwood High School, the dads put everything on the line and it appears that their presence alone has touched the hearts of not only the students but onlookers across the nation as well. CBS News published a report highlighting the violence and the arrest of 23 students in the span of three days along with several skirmishes on the grounds that were caught on video. Frustrated with the danger the students were putting themselves through, a group of around 40 fathers formed the Dads on Duty group and, amazingly, since they’ve been in the school to greet students and encourage them on their educational journey, the school has not reported one bad incident. More from CBS News: And though none of the dads have degrees in school counseling or criminal justice, they do have some relevant experience. “We’re dads. We decided the best people who can take care of our kids are who? Are us,” Michael LaFitte, who started Dads on Duty, said. Now, any negative energy that enters the building has to run the gauntlet of good parenting. “I immediately felt a form of safety,” one of the students said. “We stopped fighting; people started going to class.” “You ever heard of ‘a look?'” one student asked while describing a “power” they claimed all dads have. With the news going wide, the hashtag #DadsOnDuty has cropped up with folks saluting the Dads on Duty crew for doing the right thing. Oh, and dad jokes. Dad jokes are a powerful deterrent to violence. Check out the reactions below. https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1451684521947156485?s=20 — Photo: CBS News