Wikimedia Commons Wauwatosa East High School.
An adult parent and group of students from Wauwatosa East High School engaged in a physical fight on February 14, 2023, according to a statement sent to Heavy by the Wauwatosa School District.
A radio news anchor for 620 WTMJ obtained video of the altercation, which occurred in a school hallway.
Radio news anchor Vince Vitrano shared the video to his Facebook and Twitter pages.
He wrote that the fight included a parent. “Students tangle with adult parent. 3 arrested by Tosa PD,” Vitrano’s post read.
In an emailed statement, Wauwatosa police told Heavy:
“On Tuesday, 02/14, at 4:13pm, officers responded for a physical fight at Wauwatosa East High School, 7500 Milwaukee Ave, involving students and a parent. Five students were cited for battery. The parent was also involved in an altercation with school administration. No medical treatment was requested for any of the involved persons.”
They added: “The incident is still under investigation and additional arrests/citations may be issued in the future.” Police noted: “At this time, the parent has not been cited.”
Wauwatosa is a suburb located adjacent to the City of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.
In September 2022, two fights at Wauwatosa West High School caused concern, according to CBS 58.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Wauwatosa School District Says a ‘Verbal Confrontation’ Between an Adult Parent & Group of Students ‘Escalated to a Physical Altercation’
BREAKING: confirming this video is a fight involving an adult parent and students in the halls of my alma mater Wauwatosa East High school yesterday. Three people arrested by Tosa PD. @620wtmj
Vitrano wrote on Twitter that the fight occurred on February 14, 2023.
Vitrano also shared the video on Twitter. “BREAKING: confirming this video is a fight involving an adult parent and students in the halls of my alma mater Wauwatosa East High school yesterday. Three people arrested by Tosa PD. @620wtmj,” he wrote with the tweet.
A story on 620 WTMJ reported that the fight “resulted in three arrests,” citing a letter “sent to parents by principal Nick Hughes.”
The Wauwatosa School District emailed this statement to Heavy from Hughes:
At approximately 4:10 pm today, in advance of the freshman basketball game, a verbal confrontation between an adult parent and a group of Wauwatosa East students escalated to a physical altercation. Multiple students and the parent engaged in fighting and disorderly behavior. The Wauwatosa Police Department was called to assist at the scene. During the incident, a disruptive student was restrained by the Wauwatosa Police Department for refusing to follow instructions. As this student was being detained, a school administrator was shoved by the parent of the student in police custody.
The behavior exhibited by these individuals is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. At this time, three arrests have been made by the Wauwatosa Police Department as a result of this incident. The behavior exhibited this evening is not consistent with our school values. We are extremely disappointed with the events of today. School administrators will finalize the investigation and consult with the Wauwatosa Police Department regarding potential next steps. Additionally, citations will be issued as a result of this incident. All students involved will face progressive school discipline in accordance with the Disciplinary Framework.
The School District Promises to Send Communication to Families ‘Each Time a Physical Altercation Took Place on School Property’
The Wauwatosa School District has posted a lengthy statement called, “A Message Regarding Safety, Discipline + Communication in the Wauwatosa School District” to its website.
It reads in part,
As a District, we recognize that the physical and emotional safety of students and staff is absolutely critical to ensuring a productive learning environment. Unfortunately, over the past 18 months, we have seen an increase in physical altercations between students – particularly in our middle and high schools. In nearly all cases, these incidents begin as conflict between individuals or groups over social media that escalate to students confronting one another at school. This finding is important, as it has provided District and building administrators with the information necessary to develop and implement systems and strategies to directly address a catalyst to the challenging behaviors we see exhibited by a handful of students in our schools.
Last school year, in the spirit of increased transparency, the District began the practice of sending communication to families each time a physical altercation took place on school property. Due to student privacy laws, we have often been unable to share as much information as our community has desired. Unfortunately, this has led to an inaccurate perception that our schools are unsafe and that the Wauwatosa School District has actively attempted to hide information from the community.
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