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High School Attacked By 300 Bald College Students Forcibly Cutting Hair Of Children And Teachers
In 1924, a mob of Lousiana State University (LSU) freshmen, who had just been hazed by upperclassmen, decided to take their revenge against a nearby high school
Many people who have attended college can recall a prank or two that they either witnessed or participated in that still elicits a chuckle. However, not all of them are laughing matters. A century ago, a Louisiana high school was invaded by a mob of bald college students with scissors intent on forcibly cutting the hair of as many teachers and children as they could find.
In 1924 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an unfortunate tradition at Louisiana State University (LSU) was having upperclassmen shave the heads of freshmen students. The same stunt was pulled on November 11th of that year, with hundreds of young people on campus ending up with shorn domes. Typically, this rough initiation led to rambunctious behavior from the first-year students in the aftermath — including going and making noise on the campus of the local high school.
In this particular year, the shaved freshmen decided to once again get their pound of flesh, but at a brutish level never seen before or since. The day following their compulsory haircuts, a group estimated to number around 300 marched to the local Baton Rouge High School, many armed with scissors. The facility, used to rowdy behavior around this time of year because of the hair stunt, had many of the doors already locked. However, many were forced open, as the LSU kids were not to be denied. They were indiscriminate, grabbing who they could, students and teachers alike.
In the aftermath, it was reported that male teachers physically fought off the many hands grabbing at them, as they tried to cut their hair, laughing all the while. Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky. Some girls were dragged from their seats, crying and screaming, along with many boys, who were roughed up along the way. Ultimately, dozens of the high school students had their hair cut, and so did three female teachers (Ruth Gladney, Cora Droz and Violet Keller). A number of other teachers were aggressively approached but one…
