Greece, N.Y. – Eleven people will face charges after two videos were posted online of teenagers fighting in the Greece Athena High School parking lot.
The videos show a large crowd of teenagers watching several fist fights last Thursday and Friday after school. Some teens held out cell phones to record the fights. At least one fight took place in full view of school buses. No one was seriously hurt.
Police believe the fights were organized in advance. The 11 young men facing charges include some non-students. All of them will be charged with disorderly conduct. One will also be charged with two counts of harassment for an altercation with a security guard. Most of those arrested are 16 and 17 years old. An 18-year-old and a 19-year-old were also charged.
In a statement, Police Chief Todd Baxter said, “We are going to hold everyone accountable to the fullest extent and thirteen charges are just an example. We will do everything in our power to ensure parents feel that it is safe to send their children to Athena High School. As far as the Greece Police department is concerned, there is no tolerance for violence at any of our schools and perpetrators will be prosecuted.”
A school district spokeswoman said in a statement, “The incidents were immediately reported to police who are working closely with the district to respond with appropriate disciplinary and legal action. Students previously known to be involved in those incidents had already been interviewed and have been suspended and are scheduled for long-term suspension hearings.
The district is trying to identify other students in the videos. Additional charges could be filed.
