LA Daily News - Lancaster school hikes security after racially-charged fight BY KAREN MAESHIRO, Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 09/22/2007 01:00:54 AM PDTLANCASTER - Security has been beefed up at Cole Middle School after a racially motivated fight that injured two teachers who tried to break it up, officials said Friday.
Three students were arrested, one on suspicion of assault and battery on a school official and the two others for fighting on campus, following the Thursday morning dust-up. They also were suspended from school, pending expulsion hearings.
A handful of other students who watched the fight and egged on the participants received five-day suspensions, officials said.
The incident started as an argument between between two eighth-grade boys and escalated into violence when one of them uttered a racial slur, said Roberto Villa, superintendent of the Eastside Union School District. The third boy got involved to back up his friend.
A female teacher who tried to stop the fight was pushed down and kicked, Villa said. A second teacher was punched when he came to help.