FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) -
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The students who were arrested walked into court Wednesday in handcuffs and grey and black striped jail uniforms after spending the night in jail. The four high school students from Jefferson High School in Frenchtown Township in Monroe County, are accused of starting a food fight during lunch hour.
“Food fight. Going to jail for a food fight? Are you serious?” said 16-year-old Corey Long.
Long is friends with the four juniors and seniors arrested Tuesday afternoon at school by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. The four teens are charged with a misdemeanor for inciting a disturbance in a public building.
“Food just started to fly. And I just hit the deck. I got annihilated by peaches and tomatoes,” said Long.
Long says the food fight was started in fun, but he does not know who started it.
“I just threw what was left of my food on the ground and that’s what I got suspended for,” said Long.
Long was slapped with a ten day suspension. He says at least 16 other students were also suspended as well.
“They’re blowing it way out, way out of proportion,” said Corey’s mother Tina Long.
Tina was in court Wednesday afternoon and tried to take responsibility for one of her son’s friends because the teen’s mother could not leave work.
But the judge did not allow it so he has to remain in jail a second night.
All the other teens were released on a $500 dollar recognizance bond and into their parent’s custody.
They were basically placed under house arrest from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. until their next court date.
Both the teens who were arrested and the ones who were suspended are not allowed to participate in any school activities, even ones off of school grounds.
“Every one of us did something goofy in high school. And now they want to do this to the kids?” said Tina Long.
No one was seriously injured in the food fight. There are now talks about expelling the students who were arrested.
The Superintendent of Jefferson Schools issued this statement to 7 Action News:
“The incident in our high school cafeteria on March 27th remains under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff Department and we are cooperating fully with the police. We also have disciplined several high school students who were involved in the situation because we will not tolerate this type of behavior. This situation may have started with a food fight but the damage done to school property, and the potential for injury to innocent students as a result of the situation, has caused us to treat this more seriously than just some cafeteria horseplay. The safety and well-being of all of our students at Jefferson Schools is our top priority and we will do all we can to ensure that a safe, supportive learning environment is maintained at all times for all students. This is a student and school issue, and in respect to the individuals and families involved, we are not at liberty to discuss this issue in further detail.”
--Craig A. Haugen, Superintendent of Schools
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