2 students tased, 8 arrested after fight at Chalmette High

ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. (WVUE) - A fight broke out at Chalmette High School on Fri., Aug. 18, resulting in the arrest of several students.

Videos were widely shared on social media showing multiple different fights, inside and outside of the building.

During the incident, a School Resource Officer deployed his Taser on at least two students in an effort to subdue them.

Eight students were arrested, according to the sheriff’s office, and two teachers received minor injuries.

Students were shaken by the chaos.

“I personally hope I can graduate but with everything that’s been going on down here, in this school specifically, I’m not sure if I can,” Senior Bruce Hills, Jr said. “You got people getting trampled.”

Hills says this is not what he comes to school for.

“I just want to go to class. I’m not trying to get trampled on,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here talking to newspeople if they had just stopped.”

“We worry about him every day coming to school - what’s going to happen? We never know what’s going to happen,” Hill’s mother, Tonia Gonzales said.

Parents were on campus checking their kids out of school early. Some say they want to remove their children from the campus permanently.

“My daughter just texted me right now saying she feels unsafe,” Jessica Braud said. “She is unsafe at this school. She said that every day there are fights.”

One mother was crying as she waited to check her son out.

“He shouldn’t have to deal with this just to get his education,” Jessie Wait said. “I want to pull him out.”

Superintendent Doris Voitier says fights are not common and only involve a small group of students.

“I don’t say that they’re common at the school, I do say we do have a small group of students who seem to feel that that’s the only way they can settle conflict,” Voitier said. “The vast majority of the student body at this school never engage in a fight.”

Voitier says taser deployment is in line with safety protocols.

“If the school resource officer feels that he cannot stop students from injuring other students,” she explained. “I’ve spoken with our sheriff and they are looking at that; if proper procedures were followed by the resource officers.”

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