Jan. 16, 2009 — Twenty junior high students between the ages of 12 and 15 were taken into custody Friday following a series of fights at the John H. Woodson Junior High School, police announced Friday afternoon. Three will be arrested for first degree assault, juvenile crime detectives said.
Police were called to the junior high school to quell fights on campus shortly before noon. According to police, a fight broke out between a group of boys and shortly after a fight ensued between a group of girls. Other smaller fights erupted over the campus.
“While school security and monitors were busy elsewhere other students took the opportunity to begin fights in other parts of the campus,” Acting St. Croix Chief of Police Oakland Benta said in the department's release.
More police arrived and restored order. One student was taken by ambulance to the Juan F. Luis Hospital with a laceration to the back of his head. Officers said the student is in stable condition.
Deputy St. Croix Superintendent of Schools Maria A. Encarnacion confirmed the police account, providing a few more details.
"We had several fights on campus during lunch, while the students were outside the school," she said. "The persons involved were taken to the police station and everyone else returned to classes and a normal day of operations."
The two principal fights appeared to be unrelated, she said. One was between two sets of girls, and the other, in a different area was between two groups of boys. They appeared to have no connection to a student protest over extended class hours earlier this week either, she said.
Police took 15 females and five males into custody at the Police Headquarters at Hannah’s Rest. The students' parents were called. Three males will be arrested and charged with first degree assault, Benta said.
Juvenile officers held discussions with parents and students in attempts to get to the root of the problem. Parents were urged to get more involved with their school PTA and to keep the lines of communication open between them and their children.
Benta instructed the parents to have their children attend group sessions with Juvenile officers for four consecutive Fridays at the police station. This intervention method worked successfully with conflicts that were brewing at the St. Croix Central High School in 2008, Benta said.
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