GREENFIELD — The chairman of the town’s Human Rights Commission has put a call out to parents of students involved in a fight at Greenfield High School that led to eight arrests Monday to contact him as he investigates the school and police department’s response to the incident.
The parents of one of the students who was arrested and given a 10-day suspension spoke during a forum held by the commission Monday night to express concern that their son’s arrest may have been racially motivated.
Eight students between the ages of 14 and 18 were arrested on charges of disrupting a school in session after a fight broke out between two students Monday morning. Two of those students were also charged with assault and battery on school officials. One of those two was also charged with resisting arrest, and the second was also charged with assault and battery on a police officer.
A day after the incident took place, Greenfield Police Chief Robert Haigh said there is nothing to indicate either the initial fight or the arrests were racially motivated.
“Based on what I have and the information I have in reports and from everyone involved that has spoken with me, there is no racial issue with either what occurred or what occurred after with the officers,” Haigh said, adding he’s already spoken to a parent of one of the students and welcomes phone calls from anyone with concerns.
He said the incident began with an altercation between two students outside the building just before 8 a.m., and extended into the school.
“I know there was a spillover from the outside to the inside and that the situation escalated, as well, inside the office,” he said.
Haigh said he was unsure whether the two students charged with assault and battery were the same two that began fighting outside the building, but said the remaining students who were arrested were in some way involved in disrupting school while it was in session.
“While there were two people involved in the action, it doesn’t negate that there were other people involved in some way, whether it was egging someone on or a continuation of the disruption while they were trying to settle that matter — that’s what the disruption of the school (charges) are,” he said. “It’s the totality of the situation — that’s what we have to keep in mind.”
Human Rights Commission Chairman Lewis Metaxas said he’s been in touch with Haigh and School Committee Chairman Tim Farrell about the parents’ concerns, but said the information they’ve been able to give him is limited because all but one of the students are minors.
“We’re running into confidentiality issues,” Metaxas said. “The chief advised me in his opinion, race had nothing to do with the incident, which is contrary to what we heard last night by several people.”
Metaxas said at this stage of his investigation, he doesn’t necessarily need the identities of the students who were arrested but rather a more complete version of events. However, he said he knows that those involved were black, white and Hispanic.
“If parents believe this was a racist incident, they can contact us on behalf of their families and students, because that information is not going to be shared,” he said.
Metaxas said two of his biggest concerns are that the eight students will now have records in court and their education has been disrupted — at least one student, he said, was given a 10-day suspension.
When asked Monday, Principal Donna Woodcock declined to comment on what academic repercussions the students are facing.
“The problem I see with the 10-day suspension is the immediacy of it without due process. Apparently it was given the same day,” Metaxas said.
He said at least one of the students and his parents are going to meet with administrators Wednesday and will be accompanied by a member of the Human Rights Commission, who is also a family friend.
Metaxas urged anyone with additional information to contact him at 774-7595.
“Right now we have two very divergent claims. We have the police chief, who is saying there is nothing racist here and we have at least one set of parents at the forum, who are saying quite the opposite, and we’re trying to find out what that is and see what we can do to work with that,” he said.
You can reach Aviva Luttrell at:
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