PONCHATOULA, La. — At least 48 students have been removed from Tangipahoa Parish schools for fighting in the last two days.
Sixteen students from various Tangipahoa Parish schools were removed by law enforcement officials Wednesday afternoon, joining more than 30 from Independence High who were arrested for fighting since Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa Stilley said the students - nine from Ponchatoula High School and seven from Loranger High - were removed after "small fights" broke out at the schools Wednesday afternoon.
One of the fights took place around lunchtime. The other happened when students were getting on buses to go home at the end of the day.
“Our investigation into these two cases is ongoing, but we think that social media is feeding into this,” Stilley said. “I am asking our parents and family members to sit down with their students tonight and talk about the consequences of these kind of actions on our school campuses.”
Sheriff's officials said the 26 involved in Tuesday's fight at Independence High School were booked on misdemeanor disturbing the peace charges. It is unclear if Wednesday's students were booked.
"We must to take a strong stance against students who choose to disrupt the learning environment and cause potential risk to the students and employees at the school," Stilley said. "We will take every action possible to secure our campuses from these types of threats.”
None of the students involved in the fights will be allowed on campus until each one has undergone a disciplinary hearing, school officials said.
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