Father of 15-year-old slain in 'play fight': Schoolchildren studying badness

ANDY Lashley, father of slain Chaguanas South Secondary School student Christian Lashley, 15, says the Ministry of Education has to be stricter in dealing with violence in schools and among students. He says children are not going to school to get an education, but instead to study "who badder than who."

Lashley spoke to Newsday as he visited the Forensic Science Centre in St James on Tuesday to identify Christian's body after he was stabbed and killed during what police have called a "play fight" on June 9 at a recreation ground in Enterprise.

A suspect has since turned himself in to police.

Police said around 4.45pm on June 9, Christian and other boys were at the Chrissie Terrace Recreation Ground when Christian became involved in a "play fight."

Christian then held the right side of his torso, covering a wound, and asked to be taken home.

He was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility, then transferred to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Speaking to Newsday on Tuesday, Lashley said his son was hard-working and loved to have fun.

He said Christian had aspirations of being a mechanic, to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather. He said Christian would frequently help work with his great-grandfather to repair his own vehicle.

"That's all he ever said he wanted to be, a mechanic.

"I used to say, 'Just work hard and you will achieve anything that you work for. Nothing is impossible.'"

Lashley, an electrician, said he could not do anything around the house without his son offering assistance.

"He liked to work hard. I don't know the reason for it, but he enjoyed working hard."

Tearfully, Lashley recalled that he had carried Christian on his shoulders and watched his son play football from a young age at the ground at which he eventually lost his life.

Lashley said the "new generation parents" were one of the main reasons for Trinidad and Tobago being as violent as it now is.

"The new-generation parents grow up a particular type of way, and when they grow up and have children, they say, 'I wouldn't do my child this. My child can't go through this.'"

Lashley said currently children were no longer going to school for education, but to study "who badder than who. Who have more brands than who."

He also blamed school administrations and the Ministry of Education for not being strict in dealing with what they considered "minor offences."

Lashley said, "The type of things happening at schools, it's supposed to have a police presence within the school, and students should face consequences for their actions."

He said if a student beat up another student, he should be charged with assault or grievous bodily harm. It should not just be "another school fight and then sweep it under the rug...

"It might be small today, but my son was threatened in school on Thursday, (and) a 15-year-old killed my son on Sunday.

"It need to have (measures) where some of these things are treated as criminal cases."

Speaking on the incident itself, he said: "You can't just come to me with a knife and we just going to 'fight there...'

"And I believe the ('play fighting') story that those boys are saying is f------."

Lashley said Christian had three siblings, "an older sister and a younger brother and sister – and now they have to grow up without his presence in the house."

Lashley told parents, "Love your children," because, he said, he never thought the day would come when he would have to bury his son at 15.

Newsday contacted Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly for comment but received no response up to press time.