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Dozens of police officers rushed to Selwyn College yesterday after fighting students knocked a tuckshop worker to the ground and punched a community constable in the head.
Principal Carol White said a fight between two male students, believed to be 15 and 16, broke out just after 1pm outside the school tuckshop.
While police were called the tuckshop manager stepped in to try to break up the fight but was twice knocked to the ground.
Ms White said the fighting was still going when the first police officer, a local community constable, arrived and he was punched in the head. That prompted a call for police reinforcements.
"He got hit like five or six times then more [police] came," said one student who witnessed the fight.
More than a dozen marked and unmarked police cars and two police vans arrived at the school within minutes of the community constable's call for backup.
The two boys involved in the fight were arrested, handcuffed and taken away for questioning.
One is facing charges of assaulting a police officer and the school staff member and the other is charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.
A third student was taken in an ambulance to Auckland City Hospital after he was believed to have suffered a panic attack. He, too, is expected to face charges but his role in the fight is unclear.
Ms White said the officer who was hit in the head had a small injury on his forehead and the staff member had minor cuts on his face.
One of the two students involved in the fight had only recently started at the school, she said.
Despite being told not to speak to the media, students told the Herald the fight was gang-related and the older of the two students fighting had come to the school only three days ago.
One boy said students gathered around and watched when the fight started. They saw the cafe worker try to intervene but get knocked aside.
"He was trying to break it up and someone hit him and he fell against the concrete wall and was bleeding."
Students then held one of the fighting boys back but the younger sibling of the older student then got involved when the community constable arrived.
Ms White said the matter would be referred to the board of trustees.
Trouble-shooter sent in to help solve problems
Selwyn College's problems came to a head earlier this year when a Ministry of Education trouble-shooter was appointed on the orders of Education Minister Steve Maharey.
Alan Burton was sent in to "assist the board of trustees to effectively and collegially address a range of concerns to ensure there is greater confidence in Selwyn College throughout the community", according to a statement from the school.
The board had become divided over several issues, including discipline and the safety of school students.
A new board, elected in the triennial trustee vote last month, has been given until June 23 to make changes.
One parent, who did not want to be named, said yesterday's incident was "just what the community has been concerned about".
"Maybe this will be a nail in the coffin of the way this school is run," she said.
