Rumors of violence few at most schools

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Despite rumors at Corona del Mar High School that led

to two suspensions last week, students at other Newport-Mesa schools say

jokes about violence have quieted after last week’s shooting at Santana

High School.

Jose Castro, a senior at Costa Mesa High School, said he loves to joke

around but is extra careful these days.

“It’s not a game no more,” he said. “What you mean as a joke can be

taken pretty seriously. So even if somebody starts to joke about guns and

stuff, I walk away.”

While students at Costa Mesa and Newport Harbor high schools and

Ensign Intermediate School also reported a quieting of any jokes and

rumors of a violent nature, there have been a host of rumors that have

led to two suspensions at Corona del Mar High.

A seventh-grade student was suspended from the school Thursday after

drawing a picture of a teacher with an arrow through it. On Friday,

officials heard reports of a second student allegedly making threats.

The student was sent home until school administrators could determine

if there is any truth to the allegations, Supt. Robert Barbot said. No

further details were released as the investigation is continuing into the

possible threats.

Students relaying these rumors at home have parents in Corona del Mar

frantic with worry, especially after the school shooting in Santee on

March 5, when 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams allegedly opened fire

on classmates, killing two students and wounding 13 others.

Students at Ensign say there have always been crazy rumors, but none

they ever believed.

“I heard one kid say, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I could blow up the

school?”’ said Cory Litto, 13.

“One said he hated all his teachers,” said Mark Kidman, 14. “There’s

lots of rumors, but no one pays attention.”

But those students added that much of that talk has stopped after the

Santee shooting.

“There’s a little bit less in the last five days because people get in

trouble,” said Parker Matas, 14.

Nearly two dozen girls on that same campus said they had never heard

any rumors of threats.

Down the road at Newport Harbor, students said they had heard no

recent threats and were incredulous that the events in Santee might spawn

that kind of rumor.

“No one would be that stupid,” said Manny Ibara, 15.