news-record.com

GREENSBORO — A long-simmering neighborhood dispute erupted at Grimsley High School as students got off school buses Friday morning.

Dozens of students were involved in the fight, which students say disrupted activities all day. Several had minor injuries, and two were arrested.

A group of Grimsley students gathered at Hampton Homes on Friday afternoon said the fight was part of a years-long conflict among teenagers from different neighborhoods.

On campus, students described a chaotic scene of multiple fights in the school's courtyard with administrators and teachers running to separate packs of brawling students.

"People just started running in this crowd of people and started swinging," said junior Greg Hyde, 16.

Those not involved in the fight had to run to get out of the way, students said.

"They just broke out, girls fighting boys," said Kathleen Duckworth, a cheerleader. "One of my friends got trampled."

Daniel Aronson, a senior, said he saw a teacher fresh from breaking up a fight.

"He had blood on his shirt. His glasses were busted," Aronson said. "There was a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming. ... There was a lot of blood on the floor."

School officials swept students into their first class of the day, where they were held well into second period as the disruption settled down. Students reported that many of their friends either cut class or were dismissed by parents.

In a statement, Guilford County Schools officials said a fight involving several students occurred at the school at 8:30 a.m.

School officials would not say Friday whether any students were suspended or otherwise disciplined because of the fracas.

"All students found to be involved by the school will be disciplined by (the guidelines in) the GCS student handbook," district spokeswoman Haley Miller said.

The school system referred other questions to police.

In a news release, police said more students may face criminal charges for taking part in the fight, which authorities said involved students from Hampton Homes and Cumberland Courts.

Anthony Jamar Kelly, 16, of 1311 S. Eugene St. and Dequan Paris Watt, 17, of 1313 Ogden St. were charged with simple affray.

Arrest warrants on file at the Guilford County magistrate's office said the teens had a fistfight at the school.

A pep rally scheduled for Friday was canceled. Police officers were in the parking lot as students left at the end of the school day.

Principal Kevin Fleming sent a phone message to parents after the fight, asking them to let school officials know if their children shared information with them about the incident.

"This is indeed an unfortunate event," the message said. "We intend to work with community leaders and groups to address community relations and issues that have found their way to the Grimsley campus."

A junior who was involved in the fight said 20 of his friends from Hampton Homes started fighting with students from a nearby neighborhood as soon as they arrived at school.

"It was like a boxing match," said Shan Carter, 17. "I was in a boxing match, too."

The students said calling the groups gangs would be an overreaction.

"I don't feel like I'm in a gang," Carter said.

"But this is where I come from, and I don't feel like anybody should disrespect my home."

Contact Sonja Elmquist at 373-7090 or selmquist@news-record.com

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or alehmert@news-record.com