More Problems at North High: Vice Principal Assaulted Trying to Break Up Fight

Saturday, February 28, 2015

GoLocal Worcester News Team

On Wednesday afternoon, a Vice Prinicipal at North High School in Worcester was assaulted when he got caught trying to break up a fight between four students. The vice prinicpal had to go to the hospital for injuries sustained in the fight.

According to the Worcester Police Department, a WPD officer assigned to North High was informed by the vice prinicpal "that he observed 'two male students speaking with other students in a menacing manner.' Upon seeing this, the vice principal separated the group and followed the two aggressors back to their seats. While speaking with the two students, another 18-year-old male student ran over to the two students that the vice principal was conversing with and began punching one of the males. The male being attacked is 19-years-old."

WPD report states that a 16-year-old male and an 18-year-old male joined into the fight to help protect the 19-year-old. The vice prinicpal attempted to seperate the students involved, but fell to the ground and was punched in his head and ear, and received an injury to his neck.

Other faculty members also tried to break the fight up. Another teacher was scratched and his eyeglasses were broken as he separated the students.

All four males will be receiving school suspensions. The four will also be charged with Assault and Battery, Affray and Disrupting a School Assembly.

A School Year Gone Wrong

As GoLocal reported on January 23, 599 students were absent from North following a bomb threat and major fight that occured earlier on that week on January 20. That was the fourth bomb threat of the year. Worcester Police responded to a fight between 30 to 40 students on the third floor of North. During the fight, a male teacher was punched in the head twice and an assistant principal was spit on.

Another teacher was assaulted by a 6’0”, 235 pound 17-year-old male student. The teacher was struck in the chest by the male student while the teacher was attempting to get his students away from the fight. Three students were arrested by the Worcester Police Department. Two of the students were arrested for Assault and Battery and Disruption of School Assembly. One student was only charged with Disruption of School Assembly.

Following the January 20 events, Leith Larson, a senior at North High, addressed the Worceter School Committee about the need for a police presence at the school. Larson said, "As a senior at North High, I’ve always been proud of my school. That is until January 20th, when it became clear to me that my personal safety and the safety of others was jeopardized by students who have no regard for education or the basic rules of society. Recent events at North High School, including multiple fist fights, a dangerous food fight and total loss of control in the hallways, have made it imperative that a Worcester Police Officer be present at all times during school hours."

Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melinda Boone has come under some scrutiny following her decision to not allow students, teachers or media into an Action Plan Meeting that was held on February 12 to address the ongoing issues of public safety at the school. According to multiple reports, parents were not given sufficient amount of notice of the meeting, and were not given the opportunity to ask a series of questions as promised.