8 students arrested in 1 day as fights break out at Newark High. What's happening?

Eight students have been charged following multiple fights that occurred at Newark High School on Tuesday, according to police. And police are still expecting additional arrests in the coming days.

One fight alone involved more than 15 students. It took well over a dozen officers to resolve the situation, police said, only to see more altercations break out. At least two officers, one of which was hit with pepper spray, received minor injuries as they tried to break up the fights, while no student injuries were reported.

Newark High and other Christina School District schools were off Wednesday, but district officials said they would refrain from commenting on ongoing investigations. However, a spokesperson noted any students involved will face appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences. Delaware's largest teachers union, the Delaware State Education Association, declined to have members speak on the subject Wednesday "due to the nature" of the event.

These high-volume arrests on one high school campus fall into a concerning pattern for schools.

Arrests on school property were already up nearly 43% in 2023-2024 data in mid-March, when compared with data in 2018-2019 from Delaware State Police. Since 2020, the top offense in those arrests has been marijuana possession. With over 330 arrests so far, it must be noted the data is not limited to students, the school day or the standard school year.

Educators say they are battling challenging student behavior overall since pandemic shutdown.

Nationwide, the National Center for Education Statistics cites a 56% increase in classroom disruptions from student misconduct within the 2021-2022 school year, while rowdiness outside of the classroom grew by 48%.

In Delaware last school year, there were about seven suspensions for every 50 kids. Out-of-school suspensions alone were up 7.7% from pre-pandemic figures, though the most recent Delaware school discipline data ends in 2023. That data continues to show disproportionate discipline faced by students of color. In Christina, suspensions have climbed since reopening, but figures have actually remained slightly lower overall in 2023 compared to 2019.

Just last month, state lawmakers created a “Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force,” as described in legislation led by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend.

The new group owes the state its recommendations by this fall.

Student fights in Delaware: Teachers are battling poor student behavior post-COVID. Lawmakers strain for answers

Big fight breaks out into smaller fights in Newark

The large fight involving more than 15 students broke out shortly before 1 p.m., according to Newark Police Lt. Andrew Rubin.

As officers and school staff attempted to stop the initial fight, multiple smaller fights errupted in hallways nearby, resulting in school resource officers requesting additional police to assist.

More than a dozen Newark officers, along with multiple officers from the University of Delaware, Christina School District constables and school staff, were required to bring order in the school, Rubin said.

One Christina school board member said he learned of the incident from media reports.

"I've been tossing and turning ever since I found out about this," Naveed Baqir said. "And you know the crazy part? As a board member, I have not received a single notification that something happened in the school."

Baqir said the issue of fights in schools throughout the district isn't new. The board member and other district stakeholders have even begun workshops on these challenges, but solutions have not been fast-coming. He plans to speak on this at the next board meeting April 16.

"The only answers I get: 'This is a nationwide problem.' 'This is a statewide problem.' 'Every school deals with it,'" Baqir said. "OK, you know, sure. But what are we going to do about it?"

Back in Newark High, after order was restored Tuesday, Rubin said police arrested six students in connection with the initial fight. One of the students resisted arrest, but was eventually taken into custody.

The students — three boys and three girls, all between the ages of 14 and 16 — were each charged with disorderly conduct.  One of the boys was also charged with resisting arrest.

All of the students were released to a guardian to appear in Family Court at a later date. Rubin said none of the students was injured, though one officer suffered a minor injury that did not require medical attention.

City police plan to have additional personnel present throughout the day Thursday, as students return to school.

More on the data: Some Delaware students are suspended far more than others. How schools are addressing this

Pepper spray fires as school lets out

As school was being dismissed, Rubin said another fight broke out.

During this incident, a police officer stepped in as a 14-year-old girl tried to pepper spray another girl. The officer was instead struck by the pepper spray.

The 14-year-old girl was taken into custody and charged with offensive touching of a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct. A 15-year-old girl was also arrested and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Both girls were released to a guardian to appear in Family Court at a later date. The officer who was pepper sprayed did not require medical attention.

Tuesday's incidents remain under investigation and additional arrests are expected in the coming days, Rubin said.

Got a story? Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com, and reach Kelly Powers at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 8 students arrested in 1 day as fights break out at Newark High