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Two Students Charged After Lake Worth High Cafeteria Fight as Pepper Spray Sends 32 to Hospitals

District leaders say the school police officer followed established procedures during the crowd dispersal.

FILE - The circumstances surrounding the fight and use of pepper spray are still under investigation. It’s unclear whether the spray was used by school staff, law enforcement, or students. Officials have not yet released details about the severity of injuries or whether any arrests have been made. (WPEC){ }
FILE - Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said that about 20 to 30 people were being treated and were taken to surrounding hospitals. The situation unfolded near Lake Worth Road, near the school, where multiple fire-rescue units remain on scene. (WPEC){br}
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 7: The state flag of Massachusetts, depicting a Native American under an arm wielding a sword, hangs in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston on June 7, 2019. There has been an ongoing effort to change the flag, under fire for decades, but now Cambridge city officials are taking a stand. City councilors voted last month to support a bill in the State House that proposes creating a commission to redesign the flag, which Native Americans and others say is offensive. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The disturbance began during a Sept. 18 cafeteria fight at Lake Worth Community High School, where a school resource officer deployed pepper spray to break up the crowd.
  • Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said 32 students and staff were transported to four hospitals, and another 10 to 12 were evaluated on campus.
  • Officials reported no serious injuries and said most medical evaluations were for pepper spray effects such as watery eyes, coughing and breathing irritation.
  • Principal Elena Villani said two students who started the altercation face criminal charges and three involved students have been removed as administrators review video for additional violations.
  • Video and student accounts show widespread exposure in the cafeteria, while a retired deputy chief and a school resource officer association official described pepper spray as a standard crowd-control tool.