“Ongoing problems” between some Alexander Junior High Schoolstudents resulted in two incidents requiring police attentionThursday afternoon, said Assistant Police Chief Arlustra “Pap”Henderson.

One incident, involving three male students, began around 3 p.m.and a second incident, involving five female students, happenedaround 3:30 p.m., about the time school was dismissing for theday.

The male student incident involved two students “jumping on”one, and the female student incident was a four-on-one situation,Henderson said.

“It was some ongoing problems they’d been having all year,”Henderson said.

The source of the problem with the male students was not known,and Henderson said the origin of the female student problem was aboyfriend-girlfriend situation. Henderson could not release thenames of students involved, who were all 13- or 14-years-old.

“All of them have been charged with disturbing the peace byfighting,” Henderson said, adding the cases will be handled inyouth court.

Brookhaven School District Superintendent Dr. Sam Bounds saidthe students have been suspended, and school officials areconsidering other actions.

“We’re studying exactly what we’re going to do, but at bestwe’re looking at some form of alternative placement for thesestudents,” Bounds said.

No students were injured in the incidents.

However, teacher Candice Smith received some scratches to herface while trying to break up the female student fight, Hendersonsaid. Bounds said the blow was inadvertent, and it was not clear ifit came from one of the student participants or from someone elsetrying to break up the fight.

Also, one of the female students involved in the incident wasaccidentally hit and went into a seizure. Like Smith, Bounds saidthe girl was hit while trying to break up the fight.

Henderson said the school nurse did a good job of handling theseizure situation, and the girl was in good shape by the time hearrived at the scene.

“As a precaution, they called an ambulance to take her to thehospital,” Henderson said.

Henderson said school officer Marzelle Brooks handled the malestudent incident. While Brooks was at the station dealing with thestudents, police were called to the school to address the secondincident.

With 500 students, Bounds said it is almost impossible to guardagainst incidents like Thursday’s. However, he was pleased with howthe incidents were handled with quick response from school and lawenforcement personnel.

Citing district policy, Bounds said incidents such as Thursday’swill be dealt with in a severe manner, with the students’ beinghandcuffed and taken to the police station. Henderson said thepolice will do their job in addressing incidents of schoolviolence.

“Kids have to understand they have to follow the law likeeverybody else,” Henderson said.