Two students at Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan are seen throwing punches at each other before one hits the ground and others jump in to attack him, in a video of a Monday fight that was posted to Facebook.
And parents at the school say racism played a role in the altercation.
The teen who was knocked down in the video is Indigenous, and was sent to hospital, said Michelle Johns, the mother of another student who goes to Cowichan.
WATCH: Facebook video shows Duncan high school students fighting
She also alleged that white students at the school have made disrespectful comments toward Indigenous people, and that the issue has been brought up with the school’s administration.
It’s a video that was posted to social media following a series of fights that took place near Cowichan’s James Street campus, but not on school property, the school district said Tuesday.
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The incidents began when a large crowd gathered for a planned fight at Kinsmen Park, which is behind the school.
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Cowichan Secondary School principal Charlie Coleman was on the scene trying to calm the situation, but the group was fired up, the school district said.
The principal then called the RCMP for assistance.
The crowd then headed toward Alderlea Street behind the school, and Coleman stayed with them, walking between two opposing groups as they moved.
Police were then called again to notify them that the planned fight moved to another location.
The RCMP arrived on Alderlea Street when the crowed was there. The fight didn’t happen, but the crowd didn’t disperse, said the school district.
As Coleman and the police tried to control the crowd on Alderlea Street, a fight began on Ypres Street, on the other side of Kinsmen Park.
“That is the fight that was most widely circulated on social media,” the school district said.
Coleman and the RCMP rushed to the fight and made it there as it was ending. They then worked to de-escalate the situation and control the crowd.
As they worked to find out who was involved in the fight, yet another group gathered for a separate altercation on Festubert Street, on the other side of the school’s parking lot.
The Mounties and the principal arrived to find a group of angry people at the scene.
It was not confirmed whether a fight actually happened there.
READ MORE: Calgary teen taken to hospital with serious injuries after fight near Western Canada High School
Coleman reviewed videos related to the incident on a big screen and will contact individual families to let them know how long the students’ suspension will be.
There may be additional suspensions based on whatever the videos reveal.
Earlier in the day, Cowichan Valley School District Supt. Rod Allen and Chief William “Chip” Seymour of Cowichan Tribes issued a joint statement acknowledging the incidents that happened around the school.
“Together, we want to reinforce that we do not condone any kind of fighting, bullying or harassment of others — this applies on and off school property,” it said.
Cowichan Tribes is working with the school district to understand what happened and to “support the students, staff and families that were affected by this incident.”
There was a police presence at the school on Tuesday to maintain the safety and security of students and staff, and to “provide some calmness to the situation.”
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