Washington students brawl after school

by Dmitry Kiper

What started as a dispute between two George Washington high school students turned into a big after-school brawl on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Approximately 15 teens - both male and female - were involved in the fighting and another 50-or-so observed the altercation, according to Outer Richmond District resident Susan Kelly.

Kelly's husband witnessed the incident at approximately 4 p.m. at his home on 30th Avenue, between Clement and California streets. After he heard a ruckus, he opened his front door to see what was going on.

"They were ripping each other's hair out and punching each other," Kelly said. "We found human hair (after the fight)."

Students from at least one other high school were involved in the incident.

Two dozen students were sitting on the steps of Kelly's house, watching the fight. After asking them to leave - he had to resort to yelling - they refused.

Kelly went back into his house to get a video camera, but when he went back outside the fight was over. It lasted approximately 10 minutes. The youths dispersed when they saw a police car pull up. The officer did not exit the vehicle, Kelly said.

The seeds for the altercation were planted the day before the incident when two Asian-American girls got involved in a dispute over a male friend, said Washington Principal Andrew Ishibashi.

On the day of the incident the quarrel continued outside of school grounds. After school security personnel approached them, the students jumped on a bus, only to get off at the next stop. There, right outside of Kelly's house, the fight broke out.

Initially, some reports said the fight was between Asians and African-Americans, but Ishibashi pointed out that it was a black girl who stepped in to defend her Asian-American friend.

No gang involvement, weapons or injuries were reported. No arrests were made. Four Washington students received a five day suspension - the harshest academic penalty short of expulsion.