Fights disrupt school day

GLENDALE — Several fights broke out at Glendale High School during lunchtime Wednesday, resulting in staggered school-dismissal times for thousands of students at the end of the school day, officials said.

Two students got into a confrontation just before fourth period ended at 12:24 p.m., Principal Kathy Fundukian said. The tension spilled over to the lunch period, and a physical altercation occurred between the two, she said.

Later Wednesday afternoon, several more fights arose at different locations on campus, she said. No injuries were reported.

"There seemed to be groups of kids looking for a fight," Fundukian said.

Glendale Police officers were at the high school earlier in the day to administer a drunk-driving prevention demonstration. When the fights broke, officers were away from the main lunch area, but quickly came to the scene. Officer John Balian said the fights were already subdued by the time the officers arrived at the fight scenes.

In an effort to maintain control of the campus, classes were dismissed by building every five minutes, beginning at about 2:30 p.m., Fundukian said. Normal dismissal time for Glendale High School is 3:05 p.m.

Witnesses of the events called the commotion thrilling.

"So it's lunch time, and the bell rang and next thing you know a whole bunch of Armenian [students] came and everyone came to the fight," said Glendale High junior Chad Lareza.

High school administrators were still sorting through the students who were involved in the confrontations in an effort to determine the cause of the fight.

Some students said the confrontations were between Armenian and Latino students, two groups they said have a history of tense relations at the school.

Lareza said racial tension between the two groups were the cause of the confrontation.

"That's what it was about," he said. "That's what all fights are about."

Another bystander, 12th-grader Ara Kokshanian, also said that tension between groups may have sparked the fights.

"I heard it's a racial thing between Armenians and [Latinos]," he said.

Fundukian did not say whether the confrontations were between the two ethnic groups, nor did she say that the two groups have a history of tension.

"[When students get into fights] sometimes friends get called and they call their friends and it keeps going," Fundukian said. "And sometimes it can be along ethnic lines."

But whether that was the case at the multiple altercations Wednesday, Fundukian did not say.

"We're still trying to figure out what caused the fight," she said.

The students who did the actual fighting face suspension for their actions, Fundukian said.

"Glendale High School must remain a safe place," she said.