By Miles Jung-Kilbreath
Record-Courier Staff Writer
Streetsboro Superintendent Tom Giovangnoli said there is not truth to rumors spread on the My Space Web site about a "gang" from outside the city causing a fight at the middle school with weapons.
"All that happened was a fight between six (middle school) students," Giovangnoli said
School Resource Officer Jim Wagner said the rumors started after a fight at the middle school on Thursday between two students, which then escalated when four other students joined the fight. He said teachers quickly ended the fight and, per school policy, each of the six students was suspended for five days starting on Friday.
Wagner said no criminal charges were filled by the police after the fight.
Wagner said that sometime on Thursday night, postings on My Space started rumors that a "gang" from Euclid had entered the middle school that day with chains and had injured teachers.
In hopes of quashing rumors, Giovangnoli said that middle school Principal George Hammond recorded a message sent to middle school parents Sunday in an automated telephone call explaining that the rumors were false. Giovangnoli said that since the message, the district office has been receiving "numerous" calls each day about the rumors.
When the six suspended students return to school on Friday, Giovangnoli said they will go through diversity training because racial slurs were used during the fight.
"Streetsboro has changed dramatically very quickly and its a natural process that it takes some time for people to adjust," Giovangnoli said.
Wagner said he is currently investigating the posts made on My Space. Giovangnoli said if any students can be tied to the posts that have led to the distress at the schools, they could face between a one- to 10-day suspension or up to an 80-day expulsion, which is the highest penalty in the district policies.
While Giovangnoli said no weapons have been brought to school buildings, he warned that he would "lean toward" an 80-day expulsion if any student was found with a weapon under the guise of "self defense."
"There is no 'self defense' at school," he said.
Giovangnoli said the only change made to school security since the fight has been police officers coming to the schools for student dismissal at the end of the day, though no incidents have occurred.