Cockroach video causes stir

Members of Alexandra’s Second Division cricket team are reportedly being disciplined for what concerned parents say is their role in disseminating a video on social media showing numerous cockroaches on the walls of the St Peter school.

The video went viral over the weekend and was shared on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. The cockroaches surfaced after heavy and persistent rainfall at the secondary school.

A member of the cricket team is said to be responsible for sharing the video.

Several upset parents complained to Barbados TODAY following an alleged decision by the school’s principal Orson Alleyne to force the cricket team to forfeit their match against Combermere on Saturday.

They said the boys, ranging from first to sixth formers, were called into a meeting with the principal this evening where they were given the news.

When contacted by Barbados TODAY, Alleyne neither confirmed nor denied that he had taken the decision for the team to forfeit the match.

He however denied punishing the team.

“I am not aware of any student at the Alexandra School being disciplined for any issue regarding that video,” he stated.

He maintained that members of the cricket team were not being disciplined for their role in sending out the video.

“Whoever shared that information, you should allow them to inform you if I have a meeting or an alleged meeting in my office. I can call students to have a meeting at any point, so I don’t know who would have informed you about that,” the principal said.

“I was having meetings with students in the school concerning a matter which I think I need to discuss with them and the reality is that I think at the appropriate time any decision that I deem is necessary will be made.”

When pressed again as to if the Alexandra team would play Saturday’s game against Combermere, Alleyne reiterated that the team was not being punished.

But one irate parent whose son is on the team told Barbados TODAY she did not understand why the boys were being disciplined.

She contended that they had done nothing wrong.

“I’m at a loss as to why the cricket team has to forfeit their match. What did they do that was wrong?” she questioned.

“By doing this the principal is sending a message to those boys that they are not to speak up when they see something wrong. He is telling them that they should be silent or should turn their backs when they see something wrong happening!”

In fact, she said the principal should have lauded the boys for bringing the problem to his attention so it could be rectified.

Another disgruntled mother said she felt the principal had not handled the situation well.

She too agreed that the boys had done nothing to merit punishment, adding that the principal could have used the opportunity to speak to the cricketers.

“Even if he had spoken to them and told them that there was no need to send out the video I would understand, but to punish them by not letting them play cricket on Saturday isn’t fair,” she told Barbados TODAY.

“What if that had happened a day when all the students were at school, what would he have done? He would have suspended the entire school?” randybennett@barbadostoday.bb