Fight involving Whanganui High School students caught on camera

Students stood down after classroom fight

Three students will face a disciplinary committee next week following their involvement in a fight at Whanganui High School that resulted in them being suspended.

Footage of the fight that happened earlier this week was caught on camera and the video circulated on social media.

The start of the video showed two students squaring up opposite each other in a classroom, before one launched an attack throwing his fists and then several students got involved.

The families of two year 10 students that were involved in the incident have laid complaints with Whanganui Police who are investigating the reason for the attack.

Principal of Whanganui High School Martin McAllen said there was no place at the school for that type of behaviour.

"We contacted the police right away because that sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable," McAllen said.

"At the suspension meeting next week a decision will be made on whether those three students are excluded from school or whether they are returned back to school with conditions."

A number of other students have been stood down following review of the footage and statements provided by students that witnessed the fight.

McAllen said the fact that the fight was filmed reflected the reality of social media today.

"We do a lot of education in terms of digital citizenship and in terms of cyber safety these days. We have to, that's crucial," he said.

"There certainly was a positive thing in that there were a lot of witnesses in the classroom, so that certainly helped us with our statements as well."

Whanganui High School principal Martin McAllen

All three of the suspended students are in year 10 and entered the classroom during the school's long break.

McAllen said the fight ended with the end of the break.

"The students exited the room and then everybody calmed down," McAllen said.

"It was an ugly incident, it's a one-off incident and we immediately applied our stand down and suspension processes."

Support will be provided to all students involved in the fight and those that were witness to it.

The school will continue to inform parents and staff about developments while a police investigation continues.