HS East Students Suspended For 'You Tube' Fight

A small group students at Half Hollow Hills East High School were suspended yesterday for their participation in a fight that took place outside the high school and was captured on video and placed on YouTube.

Initially, two boys who were fighting in the video were suspended from school for five days and a third student who recorded the fight and posted it on YouTube was suspended for one day.

But yesterday, school administrators using school surveillance cameras were able to indentify five other students who watched the fight and could be heard commenting on the incident. According to school district administrators, students are required to notify a school official or teacher of inappropriate action, language or conduct, particularly fights.

The identities of the students involved and their ages could not be obtained at press time.

Sheldon Karnilow, school superintendent, posted a message on the school's website on Thursday about the incident:

"Recent events that involve the violent and inappropriate behavior by a few Half Hollow Hills students give us cause to reiterate school district policy on appropriate conduct and behavior of the entire student population.

"The Half Hollow Hills School District has a 'no tolerance' policy when it comes to violent behavior. That should not be news to any student or parent in this district as each is required to read, sign and return to school a very specific 'Code of Conduct' policy manual given out in the beginning of each school year.

"Violent behavior, whether deemed consensual or not, will not be tolerated by anyone on school property—and is not condoned off property—and will be dealt with the severest level of punishment allowable.

"It should also be understood that the instigating, prodding, and taunting of altercations involving students or others on school property will also be met with appropriate disciplinary actions.

"With the onslaught of student usage of social media websites it has also become popular for bystander students to videotape and 'post' inappropriate and violent student behavior on the web. Any student that is caught videotaping or posting of such student activities will be in direct violation of student privacy policies and will be punished, again to the fullest extent allowable.

"It is sad and unfortunate that as a school district we have to send out a reminder to our school community about what will and will not be tolerated by our district when it comes to the appropriate behavior and treatment of others. In a time when we aspire to maintain a rigorous, competitive and exceptional learning environment for our students, it is disheartening that we have to continually reinforce the basic rights of individuals to be treated with kindness, respect and dignity."