Several Shawnee Mission School District parents are on edge, demanding answers after a video of a fight at Westridge Middle School went viral online.
The video, shot on a cell phone and posted online, shows one student punching another in the middle of the hallway. You can see students surround them and hear teachers trying to break up the fight.
"It was frustrating that something like that could have escalated to that point," said a parent who contacted 41 Action News.
The parent, who asked not to be identified, has a child that attends Westridge Middle School. She told 41 Action News that despite the fight and threats among students that followed, she never received an alert from the school. The parent is signed up for school and district alerts.
"There's no communication at all, so you have to find out on your own, based on your relationship with your child, what's happening with the school and try to find out how the school is handling it," she said.
41 Action News reached out to the Shawnee Mission School District. Hours after our initial phone calls, Westridge Middle School's principal sent out an email to parents.
"Dear Westridge Community,
"I’m writing to inform you of an incident that occurred at school on Tuesday. I know some of you may be aware or have heard rumors, so I want to be sure you have accurate information regarding the incident and student safety. There was a disagreement between two groups of students that resulted in an altercation between students. The incident was resolved by staff with the support of our Overland Park Police Department and district police partners. A full investigation was completed and school protocols regarding behavior and discipline were followed.
"Additional information indicated that a student may have had a weapon at school. This report was also investigated thoroughly. A knife was found outside of the school building on the grounds but was determined to have no association with anyone involved in Tuesday’s incident. Again, district police and school resource officers investigated, there was no threat to student safety, and district policies were followed with regard to appropriate disciplinary action as warranted.
"It is important to provide accurate information, so I appreciate those who have contacted me personally with questions while we were investigating the situation. I appreciate your support and the commitment of our school community and police partners to keeping Westridge safe."
The district's communication spokeswoman told 41 Action News it takes time to sort through facts to provide accurate information to parents.
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