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WORTHINGTON — A series of physical fights broke out at the Learning Center Thursday, just prior to the scheduled start of the graduation ceremony meant to honor students in the class of 2022.
Law enforcement from the Worthington Police Department and the Nobles County Sheriff's Office, as well as school administrators and school staff, attempted to separate and contain the individuals involved.
THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND STRONG LANGUAGE.
Though at least one individual involved in the original scuffle exited the gym, which had been decorated and set up for the graduation, at least two additional altercations appeared to begin in the entryway area of the Learning Center, just outside the gym.
Video footage appears to shows a man being subdued by law enforcement and a school official, as well as multiple other scuffles, involving several different individuals.
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As of 3 p.m. Friday, the Worthington Police Department stated they did not have any new information regarding the incident and were still looking into the matter, though they anticipated charges being filed by next week.
It was not immediately clear who was instigating the violence and who was attempting to stop it, as multiple individuals grabbed loved ones and friends to try to keep them from becoming involved.
Some of the crowd eventually moved outside of the Learning Center, where an individual appeared to be bleeding from the nose, and several people attempted to continue fighting, according to a Globe reporter's account.
The Sanford Worthington Ambulance responded to the scene, as did multiple police officers and sheriff's office deputies.
After law enforcement separated the individuals and asked some to leave, the graduation ceremony began.
"It's just awful that they all had the audacity to ruin a special day for our graduates," said John Landgaard, District 518 superintendent.
"There's a few that ruin it for everybody, that's the bottom line. It's a few bad eggs that cause a lot of problems," he said.
A post on the Worthington Public Schools Facebook feed states: "We had an unfortunate incident that occurred at the Learning Center before graduation started. The authorities were here to help restore order. Once the situation was handled the Learning Center Graduation moved forward to celebrate the hard work of our LC Graduates. We will be having more security around our buildings tomorrow for the safety of our students."
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As of 3 p.m. Friday, the Worthington Police Department stated they did not have any new information regarding the incident and were still looking into the matter, though they anticipated charges being filed by next week.
ORIGINAL POST:
WORTHINGTON — Members of the Worthington Police Department, Nobles County Sheriff’s Office and Sanford Worthington Ambulance have responded to the scene of the Area Learning Center in Worthington for a series of fights that broke out between people gathered there for tonight’s graduation ceremony.
Globe reporter Kari Lucin was on the scene to cover the graduation ceremony when a fight between two individuals broke out in the school’s gymnasium. At least one law enforcement officer was on the scene, and the individuals were escorted outside the gymnasium.
The fight reportedly continued outside the gymnasium, and then moved outdoors, where several other fights broke out. Lucin said both males and females are involved, and she saw at least one person with a bloodied nose.
The Globe will have more on this incident as information becomes available from school officials and law enforcement.
