This just happened yesterday, over territory between displaced new orleans students in houston high schools.
27 Arrested After Clashes Between Houston, N.O. Students
Large Lunchtime Brawl Breaks Out Into Several Scuffles At Westbury High
POSTED: 12:43 pm CST December 7, 2005
UPDATED: 6:15 pm CST December 7, 2005
HOUSTON -- Twenty-seven students were arrested and charged Wednesday after a large brawl broke out into several scuffles between Houston New Orleans students during lunch at a southwest Houston high school, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Dozens of officers with the Houston Police Department and the Houston Independent School District brought the fight at Westbury High School, 11911 Chimney Rock Road, under control at about 12:40 p.m.
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Slideshow: Brawl Breaks Out At Westbury High
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The brawl between two groups of girls started inside the school's cafeteria at about 12:10 p.m. and evolved into several other fights involving students throughout the school.
"It was complete pandemonium -- people running everywhere, people hitting everyone," a Westbury teacher, who asked not to be identified, told KPRC Local 2.
HISD spokesman Terry Abbot said no weapons were involved in the fights, and that he suspects it was mostly fist fights.
The only injury reported as of 3 p.m. was one female student who suffered a laceration under her eye.
All students not involved in the fights were kept in classrooms to ensure their safety.
Houston police arrested 12 students from Houston and 15 students from the New Orleans area displaced by Hurricane Katrina -- 14 are girls and 13 are boys.
All of the arrested students face charges of engaging in a riot, a Class B misdemeanor.
Abbott told KPRC Local 2 that a female student from Houston is accused of assaulting a police officer. She has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor.
"As the police officer was trying to handcuff her, she shook the police officer off of her and the student was on top of the officer," the unidentified teacher said.
Eighteen of the students were charged as juveniles, while nine others were charged as adults.
Police released the juveniles to their parents. Students whose parents did not pick them up were placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The students who are 17 and older and charged as adults were taken to the Southeast Jail.
Westbury High School
"I knew when it would happen, it would happen hard," Westbury alumnus Anthony Bassey told KPRC Local 2. "As for the Houston kids, they are taking it like, 'This is my home. You can't come take my home.' New Orleans kids are like, 'They put us over here, so since we're over here, we are going to take over.'"
HISD has taken in more than 5,000 students displaced by Katrina. Three hundred of those students attend Westbury.
Abbott said there have been at least 12 fights involving Katrina evacuees since they started attending HISD schools.
District officials since the evacuees arrived, extra security was increased at all schools that took in displaced students.
Last Thursday, the school held a forum with parents, students, teachers and faculty to discuss how the two groups could get along better.
Overall, HISD said disciplinary actions at schools are down 12 percent this year.
27 Arrested After Clashes Between Houston, N.O. Students
Large Lunchtime Brawl Breaks Out Into Several Scuffles At Westbury High
POSTED: 12:43 pm CST December 7, 2005
UPDATED: 6:15 pm CST December 7, 2005
HOUSTON -- Twenty-seven students were arrested and charged Wednesday after a large brawl broke out into several scuffles between Houston New Orleans students during lunch at a southwest Houston high school, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Dozens of officers with the Houston Police Department and the Houston Independent School District brought the fight at Westbury High School, 11911 Chimney Rock Road, under control at about 12:40 p.m.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slideshow: Brawl Breaks Out At Westbury High
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The brawl between two groups of girls started inside the school's cafeteria at about 12:10 p.m. and evolved into several other fights involving students throughout the school.
"It was complete pandemonium -- people running everywhere, people hitting everyone," a Westbury teacher, who asked not to be identified, told KPRC Local 2.
HISD spokesman Terry Abbot said no weapons were involved in the fights, and that he suspects it was mostly fist fights.
The only injury reported as of 3 p.m. was one female student who suffered a laceration under her eye.
All students not involved in the fights were kept in classrooms to ensure their safety.
Houston police arrested 12 students from Houston and 15 students from the New Orleans area displaced by Hurricane Katrina -- 14 are girls and 13 are boys.
All of the arrested students face charges of engaging in a riot, a Class B misdemeanor.
Abbott told KPRC Local 2 that a female student from Houston is accused of assaulting a police officer. She has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor.
"As the police officer was trying to handcuff her, she shook the police officer off of her and the student was on top of the officer," the unidentified teacher said.
Eighteen of the students were charged as juveniles, while nine others were charged as adults.
Police released the juveniles to their parents. Students whose parents did not pick them up were placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The students who are 17 and older and charged as adults were taken to the Southeast Jail.
Westbury High School
"I knew when it would happen, it would happen hard," Westbury alumnus Anthony Bassey told KPRC Local 2. "As for the Houston kids, they are taking it like, 'This is my home. You can't come take my home.' New Orleans kids are like, 'They put us over here, so since we're over here, we are going to take over.'"
HISD has taken in more than 5,000 students displaced by Katrina. Three hundred of those students attend Westbury.
Abbott said there have been at least 12 fights involving Katrina evacuees since they started attending HISD schools.
District officials since the evacuees arrived, extra security was increased at all schools that took in displaced students.
Last Thursday, the school held a forum with parents, students, teachers and faculty to discuss how the two groups could get along better.
Overall, HISD said disciplinary actions at schools are down 12 percent this year.
