REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - An assistant principal at Revere High School was injured when dozens of students began fighting Thursday afternoon, according to the Revere Teachers Association.
Cell phone video shows a student elbowing the staffer before she hits her head against a locker and falls to the ground. The fight took place in the hallway at lunchtime on the third day of classes.
“I heard everything in the lunchroom. I sat next to the door and there was just a bunch of screaming,” said Garvin Ambroise, a freshman at Revere High.
Authorities said the brawl then spilled out into the street, blocks away from the building.
A witness said he saw about 50 to 75 students in the street.
“One kid was just standing in the middle of the street and challenging another kid to a fight, and he was standing in the middle of the street for like five minutes — caused gridlock,” the witness said.
The assistant principal who was injured was taken to the hospital, and has since been released.
The union representing the city’s teachers said fights like Thursday’s are not uncommon, but that this one was more violent than fights in the past.
“Someone got hurt. When is this going to stop? And we were all shocked,” said Michelle Ervin, co-president of the Revere Teachers Association.
The union said its been sounding the alarm for a while and is calling on the city for stronger safety precautions to be put into place.
“We’ve been asking for safer staffing levels, we’ve been asking for a health and safety team to be formed, therapy rooms for students who feel disregulated, asking for more therapists and more social workers in the schools,” said Jane Chapin, co-president of the Revere Teachers Association.
Revere Public Schools released a statement about Thursday’s fight, condemning the violence that ensued.
“We have zero tolerance for violence in our schools and are coordinating closely with our teams at Revere High School and Revere Police to ensure all parties involved are held accountable,” the statement read in part.
The superintendent said about a dozen students have been identified as involved in the fight. They will face disciplinary actions, which could include suspension and expulsion.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)