One mother took a stand against stealing at a high school yesterday when she took away the shoes of her son's classmates at St. George's College so that his own could be returned.

The second form class, 8G, was held back yesterday when Janice Wynter decided nobody was going to leave school until they returned her son, Roshaan Samuels', pair of Clarks estimated to value approximately $3,500. The shoes had gone missing from about 12 noon.

"My son called me at work and say him barefooted so I must come for him," Wynter said. Samuels explained that he was in the auditorium when he changed for theatre arts, leaving his clothes and shoes in his bag. When he returned after the class, however, his shoes were missing.

Wynter said she called the school and asked the teacher not to allow anyone to leave because she was coming to the institution. When she reached, she said, she saw the boys in a line in front the vice principal's office. "Everybody I ask. I know these boys from first form. I asked nicely where is de shoes, nobody don't know. So I go to my car for some garbage bags. De teacher neva waan me do it but me decide say me a go tek wey dem shoes like how dem tek wey my son's shoes," she said. After searching the form room for a second time, the shoes were found.

"Anyhow me neva get de shoes me did ago tek wey dem shoes and drive," the angry mother said. "Somebody tell him last week him a go P.E. (Physcial Education) say dat him not to tek off him shoes cause somebody afta it. Is de worse lot a school pickney dem me eva see."

But although she felt justice was served, other students were unhappy about the hold up. One student was so upset he started cursing expletives before the mother, a teacher and another adult. Others were heard complaining about the incident. "A should a me she come to bout tek off yu shoes," another second form student said to his friend as they left the school.

Meanwhile, the staff was neither commenting on the incident nor stealing at the school in general. Miss Valerie Virgo, the lower school vice principal, told THE STAR she had nothing to say to the media. One male teacher referred the reporter to the Dean of Discipline who had already left school. A sixth form teacher said it was the policy of the school not to speak to the media without having consulted the principal, who had also left for the day.

But although the teachers refused to speak with the media, some were heard complaining about the students' disrespect and deceitfulness after Samuels found his shoes.