STANWOOD — Twenty students at Stanwood High School were suspended after a food fight during lunch on Wednesday.
Students and staff were hurt during the food fight and “involved students have received consequences for their participation,” according to a statement from the Stanwood-Camano School District.
At least two people opted to go home after the food fight because they were hurt, said Maurene Stanton, executive director of human resources for the district. It does not appear that the injuries were serious.
The district declined to specify how long the 20 students have been suspended for, but did confirm that the length is equal for every person involved. During their suspensions, students also are banned from sports and other extracurricular activities.
Some students took to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to voice their displeasure with the district. It also appears students might have planned the food fight, as well as a demonstration set for Thursday afternoon outside the district office. Students also made T-shirts and signs to protest their classmates’ suspensions.
One of their concerns was that seniors who participated in the food fight would be barred from walking in their upcoming graduation ceremony. That’s a myth, district spokeswoman Joy Rusko said.
“Rumors stating that involved seniors will not be allowed to participate in graduation are false,” according to the district statement. “Participation in graduation is dependent upon future conduct violations between now and the end of the school year.”
In other words, if the suspended students cause any more trouble, they could be barred from walking, Stanton said. The food fight alone isn’t enough to trigger that consequence.
The district is continuing to investigate the food fight. Officials are looking for students who started or intentionally prolonged the chaos. They’re not sure how many more may have been involved.
“It’s really hard to know because there were some who were directly involved and some were caught in the crossfire,” Stanton said.
It is clear that not everyone in the cafeteria wanted to be part of the food fight, she said. Afterward, at least five students came up to the custodian and offered to help clean up the mess.
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