GROVEPORT, Ohio — The Groveport Police Department said an officer deployed pepper spray after a fight broke out at Groveport Madison High School on Tuesday.
According to Groveport Madison Schools, a verbal altercation happened during lunch around 12:30 p.m. The school's resource officer requested additional support and Groveport police along with Madison Township police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the school.
About 30 minutes later, a fight between four students broke out in the hallway and a large crowd gathered.
Groveport officers were the only ones that responded to the fight, Police Chief Casey Adams said.
Officers and teachers were working to separate the students but the crowd kept growing. At this time, an officer released pepper spray and the crowd quickly cleared.
Adams said no injuries were reported other than some complaining about pain from the spray. Groveport police are investigating what caused the fights.
Earlier this fall, multiple fights broke out during a home football at the school, which led to some kids being ejected.
A fight then broke out in the career center parking lot and shots were fired leading to an evacuation of the school and stadium. Police arrested and charged 18-year-old James Keys second-degree improper discharge of a firearm.
Last week, another 18-year-old student was arrested for bringing a loaded firearm to the school.
You can read a letter from the school's principal on the incident below.
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GMHS Parents, Students, and Staff:
I want to make you aware of two incidents that occurred this afternoon causing significant disruptions to our day.
Shortly after returning from the Trades Expo, a small number of students were involved in a verbal altercation, which was broken up before it could escalate into a fight. Because of the large number of students who gathered around, the school resource officer (SRO) requested additional police support to ensure the situation remained under control.
Shortly thereafter, a fight involving four students occurred in one of the academic hallways. While the fight involved only a small number of students, a large crowd gathered around them. School staff members and the SRO could not get the students to disperse so they could break up the fight, so the SRO determined it was necessary to use a chemical spray to disperse the crowd.
As a safety precaution and to get everyone into their classrooms, the school was placed at “Stay Put” status until dismissal so that we could restore order and ensure everyone was safe.
There were no reports of injuries as a result of the fight, though several students and staff members were affected by the chemical spray.
While fights of any kind are unacceptable and remain a serious concern, it’s important to keep in mind that the vast majority of our students behave themselves as expected and consistently follow the instructions of school personnel. When students refuse to follow the rules and cause disruptions for everyone else, we will take firm action(s) to address their behaviors.
We will keep you informed of any new information as it becomes available.
Thank you for your partnership and support in keeping our students and staff safe, and promoting a positive school spirit and environment for us all to work and learn.
Respectfully,
Duane Bland,
Principal
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