Trying to Stop Fight: Hale High School Teacher Attacked

A Tulsa high school teacher was attacked Thursday as she tried to break up a fight at Nathan Hale High School. The fight was said to be over a boy. <br> <br>Dispatchers called firefighters to the

Thursday, February 10th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa high school teacher was attacked Thursday as she tried to break up a fight at Nathan Hale High School. The fight was said to be over a boy.

Dispatchers called firefighters to the high school, because a police officer ended the brawl which occurred among eight girls with pepper spray. It was just a regular fight that got out of hand," said student Clayton Young.

Principal Fred Wright says the two groups of girls had been fighting over a boy. "Let's say thereâ€™s been some friction between the groups for at least two weeks now,â€ he said. â€œThe deans have been working with them trying to resolve the conflict."

The conflict erupted before the morning bell. Physical education and health teacher Tammy Smith was injured when she tried to break up the fight. Smith plays several roles in the sports department. She's one of student Young's football coaches. â€œShe's the athletic director and she is a pretty tough cookie," he said.

After the initial scuffle, administrators called the girlsâ€™ parents and the police. When Tulsa police and their parents were escorting the girls out of the school, they encountered each other again by accident. That's when fighting broke out among the girls for a second time.

One parent was injured, but not seriously. A police officer broke up the second melee by disabling one of the girls with pepper spray. â€œIt was very difficult to handcuff someone who doesn't want to be handcuffed,â€ said Tulsa police captain Greg
Poindexter. â€œThere was some discomfort from the pepper spray, but the problem stopped then."

More than 100 parents excused their children from school, due to the lingering pepper spray. Once the situation was defused, the school's principal and counselors began the task of trying to figure out who will be punished for injuring a teacher.