Fayetteville teens arrested after fights

Principal asks that videos on social media be deleted for students’ privacy

FAYETTEVILLE — Police arrested two teens at Fayetteville High School on Friday afternoon after a couple of fights broke out at the school, a police spokesman said.

The fights were quickly defused by school administrators and school resource officers, and any student who needed medical attention received it immediately, Principal Jay Dostal wrote in a message to parents during school hours Friday afternoon.

“Students not involved in these incidents are safe and have returned to class,” Dostal said in the message.

Anthony Murphy, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department, said police responded to the school for a fight in the cafeteria. School resource officers had broken up the fight by the time other officers arrived, he said.

Another fight happened outside and it, too, was broken up, Murphy said.

Dostal noted videos are circulating on social media from the incidents, and he requested parents ask their children to delete these videos from their phones and social media “to protect student privacy rights and reduce the potential for repeat incidents.”

“The safety of our students and staff members is our top priority,” Dostal wrote. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and the matter will be investigated thoroughly. Please let your child know that counselors and administrators are available at any time to discuss these incidents or any concerns.”

Alan Wilbourn, a school district spokesman, said no weapons were involved in the incidents.

“There’s a great deal of disinformation on social media,” he said.