12 Students Accused Of 'Aggressive' Altercations At Newtown HS

NEWTOWN, CT — A dozen Newtown High School students were issued juvenile summons of second-degree breach of peace Wednesday in connection with three altercations at the school this month, according to School Resource Officer William Chapman.

The altercations, described as "particularly aggressive" in nature, occurred on March 16, 21 and 22. One student was additionally charged with third-degree assault; the students also face additional disciplinary action from the school, according to officials.

"The Police Department's goal is to actively filter most Juvenile cases through various restorative and creative avenues, however, due to the particularly aggressive nature of both incidents it was deemed appropriate to apply Juvenile charges in addition to whatever consequences the School saw fit," Chapman said in a statement.

Newtown High School Principal Dr. Kimberly Longobucco and Police Chief David Kullgren said in a statement that the students' behavior was "unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Chapman added, "Our investigation also indicated that though multiple avenues of reporting and support for peer to peer conflict exist and are made widely available to students, the Juveniles involved chose not to take advantage of those resources."

Details of the fights were not disclosed, nor were the names of the students charged.

Chapman encouraged parents "who may have knowledge of these incidents to use the utmost discretion in sharing details with others in the interest of protecting the privacy of Juveniles involved and allowing them to learn and grow from their experiences without undue public condemnation."

In a letter to parents and students Tuesday, Longobucco and Kullgren wrote the following:

Over the last week there has been an increase in student aggression at Newtown High School. In
response to the incident last week we increased our security presence throughout the building,
particularly in shared spaces and bathrooms. Today, this approach was able to quickly identify an
altercation that took place related to last week's event. Security and administration responded
immediately and all students were quickly identified. In collaboration with the Newtown Police
Department consequences were issued.

The behavior that was demonstrated by some Newtown students over the past week is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Newtown High School will continue to issue consequences as established in the student handbook as well as recommend the involvement of Newtown Police to enforce all applicable laws.

In light of recent incidents, all behavioral expectations will be reviewed with students on the
morning announcements as well as during an upcoming Advisory lesson. It is crucial that
students report concerns to a trusted adult, including administration, or to utilize the Anonymous
Alerts app which can be accessed directly from the Newtown High School website or via the
mobile app. Additionally, it is important that students refrain from posting or distributing any
social media content related to a school incident. This inherently heightens the situation, has the
potential to interfere with an ongoing investigation and may lead to additional consequences, not
limited to suspensions, loss of extra curricular activities.

The safety of all students is paramount to both Newtown Public Schools and the Newtown Police
Department. We will continue to assess safety measures in our educational environments and
adjust accordingly.