Fights Break Out At Andrew High, More Cops Called To School

TINLEY PARK, IL — Dozens of Andrew High School students gathered in protest outside the school Thursday morning as "additional supervision" will remain in place one day after at least one fight involving a number of students and a "culturally insensitive act" broke out in a school hallway Wednesday morning.

Andrew Principal Robert Nolting said a "physical altercation" began near the school's physical education area as the first-hour bell rang. In an email to parents, Nolting said the fight was the result of a social media post made a year ago because that's something students were talking about before the school day.

A one-minute video sent to Tinley Park Patch shows several students in a hallway Wednesday morning. Some students were shown taking part in a fight that included a number of punches being thrown.

Comments posted online indicated multiple fights arose throughout the day on Wednesday. School officials later confirmed that there were additional instances of students exchanging words later in the day in connection with the earlier fight and another altercation at the school in the afternoon that is considered unrelated.

A rumor that one of the students involved had a weapon was found to be false, Nolting said, later telling parents that additional staff presence and two more Tinley Park police officers were on hand during passing periods for the rest of the day. An additional police officer will be at the school on Thursday.

A school investigation determined there was no imminent threat or safety concern, the principal added.

A "culturally insensitive act" was made by one of the students that led to the altercation, according to Nolting, and all students involved have been "equally and appropriately disciplined."

The school later said statements provided by students indicate there was a culturally insensitive video, however, "the school has not been provided with the specific video and therefore cannot confirm what was on it," in a Wednesday statement to Patch. Two days after the fights, school officials confirmed it was a video from more than a year ago that showed someone disrespecting the Quran that played a role in the fights.

Thursday morning, about 60 students gathered on the school's north sidewalk to speak out against hate and all went to their first-hour class at the bell, the school said. Another 75 or so students rallied outside the school Friday morning, the school said.

"We value and celebrate our diverse student body and will not tolerate intolerance," Nolting said.

More than 300 of the 2,300 or so students enrolled at the school were called off Thursday. Nolting said some of the more than 1,900 who were in school have been "open with us about their feelings regarding that this is not a typical day at Andrew."

More importantly, Nolting said in a Thursday morning email to parents, the students "expressed that they feel like they belong in school and know we are doing the best for them to be here and to learn safely."