Jamestown High School
Jamestown Public School officials are clarifying details following a large fight at Jamestown High School Tuesday morning.
District Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker and School Board President Paul Abbott sent a joint press release to the media.
Whitaker said, “Contrary to a local media report and parent interview, there was no stabbing and no weapons used during the altercation that took place in the Jamestown High School cafeteria. The district’s school resource officer and a school safety officer responded immediately and were able to gain control of the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, additional law enforcement presence was requested. During this time, JHS administration made the decision to put the school into a hold in place and school operations returned to normal as soon as possible.
Whitaker said they acknowledged the “sudden heavy police presence may have caused alarm and concern about the safety of students,” and “While fighting is never tolerated, we want to be clear that this incident did not involve weapons of any kind. We respectfully ask those who may choose to comment on the incident do so responsibly so as to avoid the spread of fear and misinformation. We are grateful to our partners in law enforcement for their swift response and their partnership in addressing this situation. And we are appreciative of the efforts of our administrators and staff who intervened and helped to resolve the situation very quickly.”
Abbott, who also is a retired Lieutenant and Investigative Commander of the Jamestown Police Department, complimented the way the school’s resource officer and school security staff handled the incident, “It is always regrettable when tempers flare, however it is a comfort to know that we have people responding quickly and professionally to calm the situation and diffuse the situation as best as they can. I am aware that some incorrect information has been circulating on social media. We understand the community’s interest if there is an event at the school, but we would ask for patience so that we can put out a statement that is responsible and accurate as opposed to rapid. Factual is better than fast.”
A previous statement from the district said that all students involved in the fight have been removed from the school and that the school will seek the maximum disciplinary actions as allowed within district policies and state law. They added that where appropriate, charges will be filed.
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