5 Students Arrested, Administrator Injured After Fight at Ferndale Alternative High School

Five students were arrested and police are searching for another after a fight on Thursday at Ferndale's Digital Learning Center that left one administrator injured.

According to a news release from Ferndale Police, a group of students were involved in a fight in the school’s main hallway on Thursday morning.

The fight, according to the release, is believed to have started as the result of students taunting each other. Administrators and staff in the school contained the fight; however it resulted in an injury to one administrator, police said.

When the fight started, the building was placed on lockdown, the report states. When police arrived, order had been restored. The building was kept on lockdown throughout the day while regular instruction continued.

Ferndale Police arrested five students (three who were 19-years-old, one 18, and one 17), took one juvenile student into custody, and are seeking a warrant against one 19-year-old student who left the building before police could arrest him, the report states.

Police said three of the five arrested posted $500 bond and were released pending further court proceedings. Two of the adult students are still in custody and are expected to be arraigned Friday afternoon at about 2 p.m.

Police said the school has suspended all students involved in the incident.

Ferndale Schools community relations director Stephanie Hall said Friday that the district is reviewing the situation and will look at what can be done to prevent future incidents.

"Anytime there's an incident in our district we look at the entire incident," she said. "There already have been several meetings and discussions."

Hall said the administrator who was injured was evaluated at a clinic, as is standard for any employee injury. She declined to comment on further information regarding the injury.

Henry Gold, deputy superintendent and Barbara Evoe, executive director of curriculum and instruction arrived on the scene immediately after order was restored, according to the release.

“I was pleased to see how well the students and staff did throughout the rest of the day," Gold said in the press release. "The skill our DLC staff demonstrated in diffusing the fight so quickly was exceptional. The dedicated support we received from the Ferndale Police Department was greatly appreciated.”