HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - A Haverhill High School student was arrested after a massive brawl broke out inside the school’s cafeteria on Thursday.
Officers were called to the Monument Street school around lunchtime for reports of a fight between two students, according to the Haverhill Police Department.
Video of the fight that circulated throughout the Haverhill school community showed kids standing on top of tables, chanting and cheering as the fight went on in the middle of the cafeteria.
In a statement, Haverhill Public Schools Principal Jason Meland assured parents that their children were safe and the girl in question was removed from the school by police.
After the fight concluded, students were told to hold in place in their respective classrooms for a short time.
Tim Briggs, President of the Haverhill Education Association, feels the fight should serve as a serious wake-up call for the entire district.
“I’d like to say we didn’t know it was going to happen but the teachers in the building have been predicting and predicting and I know today there was a weapon involved and fortunately no one was injured,” he said.
Parents heard disturbing details from their kids.
“They just said an incident and then my daughter let me know that there was a girl with a weapon,” one parent told 7NEWS. “It’s just hard to figure out. Is it COVID that is causing these kids to act out? Is it home life? Is it school life? These kids are stressed and something has to be done.”
School Board members confirmed that the knife was not used and ended up lying on the cafeteria floor. No injuries were reported.
“They are students who don’t understand what’s going on quite frankly and lack the maturity to understand what their actions lead to,” Briggs said.
Now, the teachers’ union wants the district to take action.
“Hold folks accountable for their behavior we are not teaching anything if we are not teaching to be accountable and there are consequences for their actions,” Briggs added. “Perhaps this student wouldn’t have ended up with the consequences today had there been consequences earlier and these are consequences that could have a pretty large impact on her life.”
An emergency school committee meeting has been scheduled for Monday night at Haverhill City Hall.
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