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String of fights at Summit High School could lead to charges against multiple students

Multiple Summit High School students may face charges after a string of fights broke out inside the school earlier this week.

On Nov. 13, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the school to break up three separate fights throughout the day, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

At approximately 10:25 a.m. two juvenile females and an 18-year-old female were reported fighting in a hallway inside the school. At about 1:10 p.m. two more juvenile females were reported fighting in the commons area. Investigations are currently ongoing into the incidents, and charges are pending.

At about 1:15 p.m. on the same day, a 14-year-old female was apparently lured into a bathroom at the school by a group of four other girls ages 14 to 17. Inside the restroom, two girls allegedly blocked the doorway while a third assaulted the girl. The alleged aggressor, a 14-year-old, was taken into custody and detained at Mount View Youth Services Center in Lakewood and charged with third-degree assault, false imprisonment, conspiracy and interference with staff, faculty or students of an educational institution. A further investigation into the assault is ongoing, and may result in additional charges being recommended to the District Attorney’s Office for the other girls involved in the assault.

The alleged victim was taken to the hospital by her parents, where she was treated for minor injuries and subsequently released.

“This is a set of unfortunate and uncommon incidents in our school facilities,” said Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons. “School officials and School Resource Officers on duty at the high school quickly responded to stabilize these incidents and restore safety and security to the school. The investigation into these fights by school officials and deputies is ongoing. I encourage families to continue to talk with their children about safety and the importance about reporting any concerns promptly to parents, school officials, law enforcement or to Safe2Tell Colorado.”

Summit School District Superintendent Kerry Buhler said that physical altercations within the school are typically rare, noting that these are the first assault charges stemming from an incident in the school in at least five years. Though she also said that there were two separate fights last year involving three different students.

“This is very uncommon for our high school,” said Buhler. “Certainly all the steps we take every day in ensuring our kids are safe and have ways to resolve conflict is our first priority.”

Buhler said that the students would be out of school indefinitely until law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office decide what (if any) charges will be brought, and against whom. She went on to say that once the students return to school they may be disciplined under the school’s disciplinary codes, typically a one-to-five-day suspension for fighting depending on the circumstances involved. Buhler also said that when a student has been charged with a misdemeanor or felony, they could potentially be put up for expulsion according to the parameters set by state statute.


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