Police say a fight broke out among students at a Philadelphia High School less than a week after a worker at the same school was knocked unconscious.
Police say six students were involved in a brawl on Wednesday in the cafeteria of John Bartram High School on the 2400 block of S 67th Street. Investigators say a stolen cell phone sparked the fight.
“It was a free for all inside the cafeteria because somebody stole somebody’s phone,” said Chardanay Carter, a student at the school.
The school was placed on lockdown and police were called to the scene. The six students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
“It’s usually a fight every day,” Carter said.
On Friday, a 17-year-old student at the school was arrested after he allegedly assaulted a school employee and knocked him unconscious. Police say the worker and the teen exchanged words as the students changed classes. That’s when the teen allegedly snapped, grabbing the man’s arm and slamming him into a wall. A viewer sent NBC10 a Vine video which they claimed showed the aftermath of the attack. The video shows a man lying on the ground, out cold.
According to the school district website, there were 50 serious incidents at Bartram High, including assaults and possession of weapons from September through December of 2013. Those incidents don't even include the fights at the school so far this year.
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Erika Herndon, another student at Bartram High, told NBC10 she often doesn’t feel safe at the school.
“Most of the time, no,” Herndon said. “But I have to go here. It’s my neighborhood school. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
In light of the recent violence, school administrators will hold weekly meetings to gather suggestions from staff and students on how to improve safety. Officials say students will hold “mock trials” with their peers to try and resolve conflicts that lead to fights. The District is also evaluating a policy that allows students to use electronic devices.
