[The social justice message of demilitarized school zones in 1986 was way ahead of its time.]
Militarization of schools has been a major social justice talking point in recent years as cops on school campuses constantly make the news for police brutality against children. The copification of educational spaces has been in part prompted by school shootings as a Band-Aid for the lack of effective gun control laws, even though the presence of police on campuses has actually proven to make schools more dangerous, especially for Black and other students of color. All the way back in 1986 in one of his first TV movies, Keanu Reeves’ Brotherhood of Justice actually promotes cop-free schools and discourages on-campus militarization.
In The Brotherhood of Justice (1986) after two vandals break into the fancy Santa Lucia High School campus, spray painting the place and smashing everything breakable, the local sheriff (Jim Haynie) tries to pressure Principal Grootemat (Joe Spano) into bringing undercover cops onto campus and hiring a private security force. But the principal — who the students fondly call the Groot — measuredly replies, “I can’t allow this school to be turned into an armed camp.”
Principal Grootemat calls a special assembly for the seniors with a rousing speech about what to do about the crime problem on campus. “Become a model for all the students of Santa Lucia to follow, and more than that, to look up to. Make yourselves proud, ladies and gentlemen. Give us that gift. Give us that example. The wolves are at our front door, friends. We can run or we can fight. It’s up to you.”
While the Groot means for everyone to be on their best behavior and encourage the best in others, what Derek’s (Reeves) friend Collin (Don Michael Paul) hears is, “He wants a junior police force.” The group of popular football players in Derek’s orbit are more than happy to comply. These wealthy youngsters form a vigilante group they call the Brotherhood of Justice. Their first action item is sending a message to one of the local drug dealers by busting up his party, assaulting him along with guests, and setting off fireworks and stink bombs. This first successful event leads to the group putting together a list of targets to “clean up the town” on their own.
Based on a true story that took place at Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, The Brotherhood of Justice in fact downplays the real-life events of the self-styled Legion of Doom, as the Brotherhood’s violence does not veer into neo-Nazi territory as it did in Texas. The Legion of Doom even tried to bomb a Black student’s house. While in the movie the majority of the Brotherhood’s targets are white students and residents, the film does touch on the anti-Mexican sentiments many of these wealthy white kids hold. Even Derek’s middle-school brother Willie (Danny Nucci) is quick to blame “ethnic minorities” for the rash of crimes in town, to which their Cuban housekeeper Maria (Perla Walter) responds, “What, Willie? White boys don’t steal?” An apt observation, considering the two original school vandals were both white.
By the end of The Brotherhood of Justice, it’s Derek’s gang of white guys who are the actual danger to the community. “If this keeps up, pretty soon you’re gonna have to do it my way,” the sheriff says to Principal Groot as the Brotherhood’s exploits increase in severity and a police presence on campus seems assured. His ominous prediction comes true by the end, thanks to the Brotherhood’s vile deeds.
The Brotherhood’s targets shift from actual or suspected criminals to other guys they simply don’t like, including gay students and romantic rivals like Victor (Kiefer Sutherland), who is friends with Derek’s girlfriend. The group’s actions also seem to unlock the psychopath in Les (Billy Zane), who discovers a real taste for hurting people and resents Derek for reining him in.
Reeves — who has multiracial Chinese, Indigenous Hawaiian, and Irish heritage — is playing white here as he did for many of his early roles. However, his actual heritage adds a unique racial tension in this film, especially given the fact that Derek is the one voice of reason in the Brotherhood who wants to minimize violence. Derek is also the one who turns everyone in after they try to murder Victor with a car bomb. This leads to all the boys getting arrested, as they did in the true story in Texas. We know in real life, wealthy white criminals like these are favored by the justice system and receive lenient sentences — so we know how The Brotherhood of Justice really ends. The film mirrors only a handful of indictments and no jail time for the real-life Legion of Doom.
In their efforts to play judge, jury, and executioner, the Brotherhood of Justice all but assured that Santa Lucia High School would have some kind of law enforcement presence going forward, even as Principal Groot tried so hard to keep the school an educational space, not a militarized one. Given the anti-Mexican racism that permeates the town, cops and private security at Santa Lucia High would certainly end up targeting Latinx and other students of color over the rich white ones. It’s an ugly fictional situation that we see in actual American schools every day.
And since we’re on the topic of white privilege and white devilry: Lori Laughlin stars as Christie, Derek’s working class girlfriend who has multiple jobs as she saves up to put herself through college. She’s trying to get a scholarship, but there are no guarantees. All of this becomes hugely ironic given the real-life scandal Laughlin was enmeshed in, accused and found guilty of bribery to get her kids into college. These particular real-life events put Christie’s monologue to Derek about ethics and working hard to get ahead in a different light all these years later, and it becomes almost funny in context.
As far as the film itself goes, the acting can be a bit overwrought, like an after-school special with that particular brand of over-the-top dialogue. That was the performance style for certain kinds of ’80s movies, which today feels a bit dated. See if you can spot the moments that foreshadow Keanu’s roles in Point Break (1991) and Speed (1994); these are weirdly wonderful.
Still, the underlying message of Brotherhood of Justice is that police- and law enforcement-adjacent individuals do not belong on school campuses, and that it’s not a mark of progress when cops are present. Sadly, things have only gotten worse in the USA since this film came out in 1986, and cops are normalized not just in schools but in all aspects of American life as vital campaigns to defund the police continue.
The Brotherhood of Justice is streaming for free on Tubi.
