Student charged in videotaped Springboro H.S. fight

A fight at Springboro High School on May 18 has resulted in a misdemeanor charge, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

  • 1 student beat up a 10th-grader
  • Another student videotaped the beating
  • Dad: Victim is special needs student
  • District has asked Springboro PD's assistance

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UPDATE @ 11:34 a.m. (May 24):

A single count of misdemeanor assault was filed Monday in this incident, said David Fornshell, Warren County prosecutor. He said the incident occurred after ongoing “trash talking” between both juveniles.

UPDATE @ 8:05 p.m. (May 19): Springboro school district officials have investigated the matter for disciplinary action and the police department is investigating the matter for possible criminal charges. Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said.

No evidence has been presented to his office yet, he said late this afternoon.

UPDATE @ 2:42 p.m. (May 19): Springboro police Chief Jeffrey Kruithoff confirmed the police department has the cell phone of the student that allegedly recorded the assault. A search warrant will be filed in order to access the phone's contents, Kruithoff said.

UPDATE @ 1:48 p.m. (May 19): Springboro schools released an updated statement and timeline of the events from the incident Wednesday at Springboro High School. The physical altercation that occurred just before noon was not witnessed by any district staff and was not immediately reported by any of the students involved, according to the district.

By 12:45 p.m., a student had alerted a teacher than a video of the fight was circulating electronically.

“Based on our district’s investigation, we believe criminal charges are appropriate,” reads the statement from Karen DeRosa, district spokeswoman. “SHS will pursue all relevant disciplinary action with the students involved in accordance with district policy and the student code of conduct.”

UPDATE @ 11:30 a.m. (May 19): Springboro police Chief Jeffrey Kruithoff said Thursday a police report is being filed in this incident which will be forwarded to Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell to determine if criminal charges will be filed. Any charges could be filed by Friday or Monday, the chief said.

Kruithoff said he would not classify Wednesday’s incident as a fight but rather an assault.

“A fight would indicate two consenting parties engaging in the fight,” Kruithoff said, adding the incident was a verbal incident with one person as the physical aggressor. “That’s more of an assault.”

Kruithoff said he hasn’t seen any video footage of the incident yet, but the school’s surveillance will be turned over to police and the prosecutor’s office.

UPDATE @ 9:03 p.m. (May 18): The Springboro School district issues the following statement regarding the fight at the high school, issued by Karen DeRosa, district communications coordinator:

“Springboro High School administrators were made aware of a fight involving a few students just before noon on May 18. At that time, an investigation into the fight began with the students involved. The fact that the incident was videotaped was not disclosed until after the 1:25 p.m. dismissal of the high school when the incident already was under investigation.

“The Springboro School district cannot disclose identifying information about any student, even in response to posts on local news media and social media sites. However, please know that the district has made this a top priority and requested the assistance of City of Springboro Police Department in the matter.

“Although brief physical altercations are not entirely unusual in most high schools, they are not acceptable behavior in any circumstance in Springboro Schools. As more details are being established through the investigation, it is apparent that this more than a scuffle or prank. We understand our community is deeply concerned with the news and social media coverage on this, but we cannot comment further at this time.

“Springboro Schools will issue more information as soon as more is known that can be shared with our community.”

UPDATE @ 5:55 p.m. (May 18): The fight at Springboro High School, confirmed by a district spokeswoman, involved a 16-year-old sophomore described by his father as a special needs student.

The boy was beaten up by a student while another student watched and videotaped, according to his father Ken Williams.

Williams said the principal confirmed that the fight occurred and noted that video footage from school surveillance cameras showed his son was not doing anything at the time of the fight. Williams said he was not allowed to view the footage because the principal told him the fight involved juveniles.

The incident occurred about 11:50 a.m., the father said, noting the school called and alerted him to the incident at 1:46 p.m.

According to Williams, his son was walking out of the school building to be picked up for an appointment when two students from a gym class followed the boy and began slapping him in the face and continued to hit him.

Williams said he was told a gym teacher witnessed a portion of the fight and yelled at the students to break it up.

The father said his son has some facial wounds and a black eye.

The father said he’s awaiting responses from the assistant principal and superintendent on what action will be taken against the student who beat up his son.

A Springboro police official said officers were not dispatched to the high school today.

FIRST REPORT

Springboro High School administrators are investigating a reported fight among students today that was videotaped, district spokeswoman Karen DeRosa confirmed.

DeRosa said the fight happened sometime around noon today.

The high school already had a planned early release today.

We’re working to learn more details about what occurred at the school today.