BATON ROUGE, LA – East Baton Rouge Parish school officials confirmed Tuesday they are exploring a potential partnership with Sonic Drive-In following a recent fight at Belaire High School that once again drew attention to the district’s ongoing struggle with student altercations.
Administrators said the incident helped to fast track discussions that were already underway, noting that Sonic has spent decades managing the exact type of crowd-forming conflicts now common on EBR high school campuses.
“We’re not assigning blame,” one district official said. “We’re recognizing experience when we see it.”
Under a proposed pilot program, select EBR high schools could receive on-campus Sonic locations designed to provide an open, structured area for disputes, keeping hallways and classrooms clear during incidents. Officials believe the setup could reduce congestion, limit cellphone swarms, and make fights easier to monitor and bet on.
Sonic representatives confirmed preliminary conversations, noting their employees are trained in crowd awareness, conflict de-escalation using food incentives, and contacting law enforcement without appearing alarmed.
“This is familiar territory for us,” a spokesperson said. “We’ve been preparing for this our entire existence.”
Following the Belair High School incident, East Baton Rouge Parish officials say Sonic’s parking-lot expertise could provide structure, supervision, and a familiar environment for student altercations, especially during afternoon hours when discounted drinks, corndogs, and footlong coneys are already drawing crowds.
