Several students at local high school suspended after large brawl on campus

HENRIETTA, N.Y. – Several students at Rush-Henrietta High School are suspended after a massive brawl at the school on Friday. As some parents question the suspensions, school leaders say they are working on plans to prevent incidents like this from happening.

A parent of one of the students who is now under a five day suspension showed News10NBC a video of the fight captured on a cell phone, which depicts the chaos that happened Friday morning inside the school’s cafeteria.

Friday morning at Rush-Henrietta High School started with this violent fight involving several students. School leaders confirm the fight was started by a student in the district who attends an alternative school. He was not supposed to be in the building but is seen attacking several students sitting at a table. How he got into the building is now being investigated.

“One of the things we’re looking at as a team, is what other measures we could’ve done to prevent that, and that’s a piece that we’re looking at as part of our conversation that we have been having,” said Assistant Superintendent of Student and Family Services Nerlande Anselme.

That’s not the only fight last week. Last Wednesday several students fought outside the school’s doors. At least five students were suspended following Friday’s brawl, which school leaders say is connected to the earlier fight. Parents we talked to admit their children’s involvement but say they were provoked.

“The student literally came running towards them and launched where the students were, and started hitting,” said Melody Flores, mother of student. “If you look at the video, yes my son hit him, cause he’s protecting himself, and his friends, and that’s what a 15-year-old high school student mentality wise does.”

Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputies are now posted outside the high school during arrival and dismissal times. The district is now working on what school leaders call an “after action review.” This plan follows immediately after a serious incident on campus.

“We determine what worked well with the security measures that we have currently in place, and what other enhancements, or refinements that needs to be made, and I can tell you, and reassure the public, that currently those are the conversations that are happening and we can’t share those at the time cause we’re still working on those, but we will make sure we add additional enhancements,” said Anselme.

In an unrelated incident, Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputies confiscated a BB Gun from a young student on Tuesday at Roth Junior High School.