Violence between students flares again at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa

Amy Larson
·2 min read
2

(KRON) — Violence between students continues to plague Montgomery High School’s campus in Santa Rosa.

Last year, 16-year-old Jayden Pienta was slain by another student inside a classroom. A 15-year-old freshman stabbed Pienta to death in front of dozens of students and their art teacher on March 1, 2023, according to police.

On Wednesday, another fight between two boys broke out during their lunchtime recess, the Santa Rosa Police Department said.

Both students punched each other several times for 15 seconds until school staff members separated the boys, police said. One of the boys clutched a knife in his fist while throwing punches, police said.

The Santa Rosa Police Department said it did not receive a call from the school until 1:56 p.m. Wednesday. Once an officer arrived on campus, a school employee told the officer that “no knife was involved and the school wished to handle the matter internally.”

“Additionally, the officer learned the student suspected of brandishing a knife had left the campus approximately 20 minutes before the school called the police department to report the incident,” SRPD wrote.

Police said officers were unable to find the boy because of the school’s “significant time delay” in reporting the fight to SRPD.

On Wednesday night, school administrators met with police a second time because new video of the fight revealed that one boy was in fact armed with a knife. The video showed “the suspect punched the victim in the face at least one time while his fist was wrapped around the knife,” SRPD wrote.

Three shot at Oakland Skyline High School graduation

On Thursday afternoon, police officers found the boy at home on Grand Avenue and arrested him. Investigators were unable to find the knife.

The boy was booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon, and misdemeanor possession of a weapon on school grounds. Police did not release the arrested boy’s name because he is a minor.

A spokesperson for Santa Rosa High School District did not immediately respond to KRON4’s request for comment about Wednesday’s incident.

Lawsuit: Santa Rosa school failed to help slain student Jayden Pienta

Montgomery High School and the school district are currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Pienta’s family. The civil lawsuit blames school authorities for not expelling students who repeatedly get into fights at school.

The suit claims Montgomery high:

  • Allowed a culture of violence to grow and become acceptable on campus and during
    school hours, in which students were allowed to settle differences through physical
    violence.

  • Failed to take effective action to address students who engage in repeated violent
    altercations with other students, including, but not limited to, reassignment, segregation,
    supervision, education, counseling, intervention, and expulsion.

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