As prosecution of their case gained national attention because of the severity of the charges in relation to the students' ages, they were later dubbed the Jena 6.

[2] The complex case and related issues have been highly controversial and eventually attracted widespread national media attention, development of a legal defense fund, and thousands of protesters at an event in support of one of the students.

It is covered in full at the main article noted above, as the trials, appeals, changes in charges and subsequent sentencing have taken years to play out.

These elements reflect more about the criminal justice system, racial discrimination, and media coverage than they relate specifically to this high school.

[4] John Mellencamp released a song called "Jena" in August 2007, which referred to events at the small high school.