High School parking lot fight sends one student to hospital, one to juvenile hall
By Ashley Sharp
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STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — Shocking video shows a violent fight in a parking lot at Cesar Chavez High School on Thursday, Sept. 7 just after school let out for the day.
One student was arrested and taken to San Joaquin County Juvenile Hall on Friday morning when his parents brought him to school. The other student was taken to the hospital, treated, and released the same day.
The Stockton Unified School District tells CBS13 that both students are freshmen.
“Oh my god, that’s horrifying,” said Ebony Daan, mother of a Chavez High sophomore, watching a few seconds of the video.
Other Chavez High parents had the same reaction to the disturbing fight scene.
“It’s sad, it really is,” said one father.
CBS13 chose to air only a few seconds of the fight due to the video’s disturbing nature and the fact that the students are minors. Their faces have been blurred in all publications of the video.
The fight appears to last about a minute and seems to start with a push and punch thrown by the larger student who was arrested.
In the full video, the larger student can be seen chasing after the other and throwing punches and kicks while the other student does the same.
The larger student is then seen picking the other student up into the air and slamming him to the ground. That student hits his head, is kicked by the other student, and then appears to have a seizure.
“He can’t even stand, look at his legs. Poor baby,” said Daan, in shock watching the final part of the video.
Another student can be seen stepping in and helping him off the ground, ending the fight.
Just minutes later, Stockton Unified School District leaders tell CBS13 that school administrators were there and called an ambulance for the injured student.
“My question is where were they then or even the campus security?” asked Daan.
Other parents had the same question.
The district says the fight did not happen during school hours, but about 10 minutes after the bell rang.
“It doesn’t make any difference at all. There’s students here till 9 at night,” said Daan.
Parents say, after seeing the video circulating online, they want to see more security at Chavez High to make the rounds and watch for things like this.
“Even if it were volunteers. I myself would come and volunteer. Just so the kids would be safe, to avoid fights,” said JoAna VanHorn, a district grandparent.
“They need more staff, or police involvement. Not just sitting here, but involved here,” said Daan.
The district says Chavez High has School Resource Officers and two security crews.
It doesn’t ease the minds of some parents.
“As far as being a parent for Chavez, I know they are trying to do the best they can but still it is not enough. It is never enough,” said one Chavez High father.
The district told CBS13 one of the school’s two security crews and SROs were actually called away from campus to an unrelated fight and attempted robbery at Unity Park right down the road at the same time the fight on campus was happening.
Disciplinary action is being considered for the students involved — which could include expulsion, once the district has all the facts of what happened and who started the fight.
“Officers will continue to investigate as the safety of our students is a top priority. We remain committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students,” a district spokesperson told CBS13 Friday.
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