On Thursday, over 30 students and staff members from Lakeworth High School were taken to the hospital after chaotic fights broke out. School safety officers resorted to using pepper spray to control the situation.
The police intervened around noon, employing pepper spray to disperse a wild melee, inadvertently affecting more than three dozen individuals, including students and educators.
In total, 32 people were transported to four local hospitals for medical attention due to the pepper spray deployment. A representative from the Palm Beach County School District noted that an additional 10-12 individuals requested treatment on site but opted not to go to the hospital.
Firefighters from Palm Beach County responded to the incident, which was initially reported to have 20 to 30 people requiring treatment and hospitalization.
The emergency team indicated that the scene remained chaotic until about 3 PM, hours after the fighting started.
School officials mentioned that those responsible for initiating the brawl would not go unpunished. “Physical altercations are a serious breach of the Student Code of Conduct,” they stated, adding that the involved students are facing disciplinary actions.
Details surrounding the cause of the fight and its exact location on campus remain unclear.
With around 2,000 students enrolled, Lakeworth High School has previously been noted for issues related to student misconduct and unruly behavior.
Earlier this year, controversy arose when AP course instructors compared students’ skin tones to different coffee roasts, leading to firings. The teacher involved claimed it was meant as a joke among students and described it as a lapse in judgment that he regretted, but by then, the damage was done.
