Two expelled after violent school fights

Two students have been expelled and two are to face a board disciplinary hearing after violent fights at an Auckland school were put on the internet.

The students from St Paul's College in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby were shown beating each other in organised fights while rap music played in the background. The fights were aired on YouTube.

Six students were suspended last week by the board of trustees. Two were expelled and four were allowed back to school but conditions on their behaviour were imposed, board of trustees spokesman Brother Richard Dunleavy said.

He would not reveal the conditions but said the students would be monitored to make sure there was no repeat of the behaviour.

He also said another six students were found to have been involved and two, including the student who produced at least one of the video clips, were to appear before the board on Monday.

The other four were still under investigation and had been suspended.

He said students felt disappointment and even shame that the image of the school had been dented.

E arlier he said the fights were "glorifying that whole gang culture thing and that's what is most concerning".

He said many other schools would have had similar incidents and the difference was that new technology allowed it to be captured on mobile phones.

- NZPA