Teacher: Student fights misrepresenting school

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Schoolyard fights are not all that unusual, but they are for some students at DeKalb County's Lakeside High School, a school known for its academic performance.

"We're full of kids that are 4.0 going to Harvard, going to Georgia Tech," said Lakeside teacher and coach Tricia Newmyer.

However, incidents like the fight caught on camera prompted one senior to describe the scene as a war zone to Channel 2's Carl Willis.

That depiction drew plenty of opposition and a flurry of emails from parents, students and teachers.

Newmyer was among the group that's calling the words unfair.

"This hasn't happened on a regular basis, so the one time it does, it's like 'Oh my gosh' and it really is -- it's a huge deal to them, because they've never seen it," Newmyer said about student reaction.

Still, she says the fight that was caught on tape was alarming because students formed a ring and attempted to keep faculty members away.

That's when the assistant principal tried to stop the fight and students said he got kicked while he was down.

The incident was first reported when the school's principal sent a letter to parents informing them of a six arrests in 10.

He also wrote of his efforts to curb the incidents.

"He sent that email out of parents being worked up about what happened and an administrator breaking up the fight and kind of getting kicked," Newmyer said. "That's what alarms parents."

Newmyer isn't dismissing students' concern about the rash of fights. She just wants the school's stellar reputation to stay intact.

"I don't think that it's an accurate representation of totally what is going on in this community and at this school," she said. "There's too much good going on."

WSBTV