East HS: Several Students Suspended, Charged with Assault
Posted at: 02/10/2012 6:51 PM
| Updated at: 02/10/2012 10:55 PM
By: Paige Calhoun
"It's been going on for awhile. They've had this little fued and it all kind of boiled up on Tuesday," Senior Keegan Flaherty said.
He's talking about conflicts between some white and some black students at East High School. What Flaherty and many other students Eyewitness News spoke with, believe sparked three fights there on Tuesday.
Police said the first fight happened just before 9am Tuesday. Two students were suspended and both were charged with disorderly conduct.
Just two hours later, police said, another fight. This time, one student was charged with two counts of 5th degree assault and suspended.
The third fight also happened about the same time. One student was charged with 5th degree assault and suspended.
Duluth Police said there were no serious injuires. The School Resource Officer, the Juvenile Bureau, and school staff took care of all three incidents. Neither police nor the school said what started these fights, But once again, students said race played a role.
"It's a horrible thing. There's no reason for them not to like eachother, they're no different, whatsoever," Senior Maggie Yetter said.
Students also said they had heard there was a confederate flag being waved around in the parking lot, and could have contributed to some of the tension, but police said no flag was involved. The school held an assembly Friday, which was already planned as part of their spirit week. Students decided to address the race issue at Friday's gathering. They talked about the importance of being united as a school, regardless of skin color.
"We're all the same, we're all Greyhounds," Yetter said. A message they hope will ring true for the remainder of the school year, and for many years to come. "It's not about black and white, It's about red and grey," Senior Tyshawn Hubbard said.
Police said they are still investigating these fights. Meanwhile, the Duluth School District would not give the race, age, or grades of the students. They said it would violate their privacy under state guidelines.
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