Two college students are going through legal prices after a battle broke out within the cafeteria at Lake Price Group Excessive Faculty on Thursday afternoon, leading to a college officer utilizing pepper spray to disperse an unruly crowd.
About 12:30 p.m. Thursday, a complete of 44 Palm Seaside County Fireplace Rescue and personal ambulances arrived on the faculty at 1701 Lake Price Street after calls in regards to the battle, Captain Tom Reyes, a hearth rescue spokesperson, instructed reporters on the scene.
Principal Elena Villani mentioned in an up to date message to households on Friday that two college students started preventing and a 3rd “started appearing inappropriately.”
“As employees was making an attempt to deal with the preliminary battle, different college students created a bigger disruption by partaking in disorderly conduct reminiscent of shoving and throwing objects,” the principal’s message mentioned. “I need to be clear that this habits is unacceptable, and I’m deeply disenchanted within the decisions these college students made.”
The college police officer then used the pepper spray to interrupt up the group, and a few college students who had been within the speedy space had been “impacted by the spray,” the message mentioned.
Video shared with the South Florida Solar Sentinel confirmed two women punching one another close to a desk within the cafeteria as a crowd of scholars gathered round, yelling or cheering. One of many women was knocked onto the ground, the place the battle continued. An grownup intervened about 40 seconds into the video, making an attempt to separate up the 2. That video then abruptly ended.
One other video shared with the Solar Sentinel exhibits a girl carrying a police or safety uniform shaking an object in her hand and spraying one thing towards a cluster of people that then swarmed towards the cafeteria’s doorways. Some could possibly be seen ducking as the girl sprayed.
Coughing and screaming could possibly be heard within the video as college students shuffled across the cafeteria. Pepper spray causes painful signs together with intense burning within the eyes, coughing and issue respiratory.
A complete of 32 college students and school had been taken to 4 completely different native hospitals. One other 10 to 12 college students had been assessed however taken house by their mother and father, Reyes mentioned on Thursday.
Villani mentioned on Friday there have been no critical accidents, and most who went to the hospital had been handled due to the pepper spray.
The principal’s message didn’t specify what prices the 2 college students are going through. A college district spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to an e mail looking for info on the fees.
“Two of the scholars who started the altercation at the moment are going through critical penalties, together with legal prices,” the message mentioned. “As well as, all three college students concerned is not going to be returning to Lake Price Excessive Faculty and might be disciplined in response to the Scholar Code of Conduct.”
Directors are reviewing movies and “different proof” to seek out another college students who could have violated the conduct code, Villani’s message mentioned.
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