No Football, No Bail: Frederick Douglass High School Fight Aftermath

Baltimore City Public Schools reportedly cancelled Frederick Douglass High School’s Friday night football game days after a fight that sent one student to the hospital and another to jail.

Both students were football players, and the fight is said to have started when a 17-year-old accused a 16-year-old of stealing his football helmet visor.

The younger boy denied having taken the visor and was pummeled in the cafeteria.

He will require reconstructive surgery for his face and sustained a broken nose, facial lacerations and a concussion, Fox 45 reported.

After-school activities for the week, including Friday’s night football game, were cancelled for Frederick Douglass students, according to Fox 45.

The alleged assailant—Sean Johnson, 17, of the unit block of Poppleton Street—is charged as an adult with attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, disturbing school operations and disorderly conduct, according to court records.

Johnson is being held without bail in Baltimore City, according to WBAL.

Because footage of the fight went viral online, Johnson’s lawyer reportedly said his client was being “bullied” by the courts.

Cell phone video of the fight posted to Facebook has been viewed more than 4 million times as of Friday afternoon.

“There are two sides to every story,” Johnson’s mother told WJZ. “My son is being portrayed as someone worse than he actually is.”

Johnson has a preliminary hearing in Baltimore City District Court scheduled for Sept. 30.