WASHINGTON 鈥� After six Wilson High School students were charged in聽an late last month, some are questioning its safety.
The students went before a judge on Wednesday, and one teenager is still being held.
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson says there were incidents on Metro before the city funded students鈥� free rides.
鈥淚 reject this notion that wild bands of roving students are attacking people on the Metro,鈥� Henderson says.
Henderson says the incident at the Gallery Place station is not part of a pattern.
鈥淲ith 50,000 kids, there are going to be some issues 鈥� but that is not an indictment of all of our young people.鈥�
She says before the free ride program, many students said they became truant because they couldn鈥檛 afford transportation.
鈥淭hey said, 鈥榖y the middle of the month, my SmarTrip card is empty, so I don鈥檛 come to school,鈥欌�� Henderson says. 鈥淧eople can disagree with me if they like, but I think the vast majority of our kids every day are riding the subway and riding the bus, and they do just fine.鈥�
A D.C. Superior Court spokeswoman says the Wilson High School students 鈥� five boys and a girl, all 16 or 17 years old 鈥� appeared in court Wednesday. They will go before a judge again for a hearing later this month.
