Schools

Two Students Allegedly Assaulted At Wayne Valley High School

Police say they have not been asked to get involved. School and their public relations firm decline comment.

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Two alleged incidents of assault involving juveniles occurred at Wayne Valley High School recently, police said Wednesday.

Detective Capt. James Clarke said the police department has not been asked to get involved and that school officials are handling the situations.

He said he did not know when the incidents allegedly occurred.

“Police have not been approached by any of the victims or their families to get involved in the matter,” Clarke said.

Clarke said that the father of one of the victims visited police and inquired about what his options were with regards to filing a complaint. Clarke did not say when that individual visited police and that, to his knowledge, the father has not been back since that visit.

Clarke said that as far as he knows, no other parents have visited the police to inquire about filing a complaint.

"As a matter of policy, we cannot comment on the matter," said Kurt Praschak, vice president for public relations for the Success Communications Group, the public relations firm that represents the Wayne Public School District.

When Patch sought comment from Superintendent Ray Gonzalez on Wednesday, the firm responded by emailing the following statement, attributed to Gonzalez.

“With the school year concluding, I believe it’s appropriate to reaffirm Wayne Public Schools’ strong commitment to all student-related codes of conduct, including the revised athletic code of conduct introduced in March.

“In order to ensure that our students feel safe and secure in our schools at all time, we will adhere to the specific dictates of these codes and apply discipline as prescribed whenever necessary with complete impartiality.”

The district created the new code after Wayne Hills High School football players beat up two Wayne Valley High School students in October.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Related Topics: Wayne Hills High School, Wayne Police Department, and Wayne Valley High School

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George

4:37 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

doesn't sound like there is much substance to this story

stewart resmer

4:55 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

so er uh where is officer rude in all of this, wasnt he supposed to be the new school officer?

stewart resmer

5:06 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

there is something fundamentaly wrong here where there is an incident of alleged violence and somehow a PR firm is in charge of the matter and the Police department has no role or interest in the situation?

Ed Zachary

6:29 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Why? It most likely involves minors--and, thus, there can be no official comment. Public schools have a comprehensive action plan for dealing with unsavory situations between students. I am assuming that the assault was inflicted upon one WVHS student on another. If the assaulter(s) are not WVHs students, then I suppose some police involvement is in order.

Tom Troncone

9:04 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ed, that's actually not true. The minors obviously cannot be identified, whether they be victims or attackers, but the school and its PR firm can clearly talk about the incidents themselves.

W.elk

5:19 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Do schools not have to follow actual laws and just follow school policy? I'm asking for real. Assault should not be tolerated.

Scondo

5:22 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Or it could just be a couple of testosterone driven 16 year olds duking it out old school in gym class or boys room. C'mon whom among us in our wayward youth did not fall into a fray, a donneybrook , trading fisticuffs. I can not make that claim as I did a stint or two in the VPs office with my worthy opponents as we jointly attempted to come up with a rational explanation as to why we each had bloody lips and swollen noses, lest we had to explain it to parental authority that night. . Let's not get too worked up over this just yet.

Patti78

5:30 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

@scondo....how true! It appears that this is an attempt to sensationalize a non-issue.

Ed Zachary

6:30 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

It happens from time to time in high school. Children don't always make the best choices--that's one of the reasons why they're in school.

Tom Troncone

9:21 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Scondo, Patti... and herein lies the flaw in the strategy of "no comment." What we initially heard about this was that one kid ended up with 50 stitches. Whether that is true or not, we don't know, which is why it is not in the story. But that's why we pursued it.

If we had called up the school or the agency and they said, "look, there were two fights, but nothing different than what you'd expect to happen every now and then in a school. No kids were injured, just a few scrapes and bumps. We've taken disciplinary measures against two juniors, but obviously can't talk about that" .... I would have likely told Dan not to write the story.

But the absence of any comments whatsoever contributes to getting the story published, considering what we initially heard about at least one of the incidents.

Does that make sense?

Hindler

5:25 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

How do you know if an assault even happened? There is no story here just fluff. Just another article to solicited crazy bloggers. This is turning into a tabloid platform.

Ed Zachary

6:33 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I'm not crazy. All I wanted was just a Pepsi.
http://youtu.be/LoF_a0-7xVQ

jon

3:30 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

My daughter was a witness to one of the "assaults". It happened in Spanish class. One student cold cocked the other with a fist to the left eye. They had words first, the kid who was assaulted thought it was over and, BAM, coldcocked to the left eye. As far as I know the parents of the assaulted kid looked into pressing charges but since the other kid would be 18 in a few months, most likely the charges would be dropped anyway. They didn't press charges. The kid needed some stitches but looks fine now. I saw a picture of it and let me tell you, there was A LOT of blood. All this over a girl

Genks

5:36 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Is this really a story? No facts....no incident...? What is this?

Pad

6:59 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

If there is an assault which is a crime the police are obligated to investigate. If neither party is going to sign a complaint then the investigation over with. The BOE has no legal right to tell the police not to get involved. Sounds like another cover up to ward off more bad PR for the Wayne School District. We will soon hear from the PR firm Im sure with their cleaned up version of the story. Should go well with the current lawsuit that has been filed in relation to repeated reported acts of bullying and harrassment of a child. While Wayne school officials sat back and did nothing about it.

still in town 78

8:31 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

So more or less the official comment is they have no comment and they done know what happened. And no one Is doing anything about it.

stewart resmer

9:10 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

keep moving, keep moving, thats right-nothing to see here folks, keep moving, keep moving.

Wayne Hills football 02

11:25 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Let it go gents. Sounds like this was a 'non story' that some want to be a story. I just want my alumni friends and families to move on since we do not need to make something bigger than it is.

Nose Wayne

8:32 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

COME ON ALREADY!! We all had our "misunderstandings" in school. Went out to the FIELD and took care of things,went back inside and that was that!! Since the " HILLS INCIDENT" EVERY little misunderstanding is totally blown out of control. Kids got suspended,back in school in a couple of days. CASE CLOSED!!

Nose Wayne

9:08 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

THANK YOU WAYNE HILLS,also an alumni of HILLS ,Everything today is just blown out of control.Fights everyday,when it was over,shook hands and went our separate ways. Every little thing today is NEWS WORTHY!!! TO MUCH DRAMA!!! OR TV?

Nose Wayne

9:38 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Stewart,YOUR RIGHT,LETS KEEP MOVING!! NEXT DRAMA??

concerned

4:42 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

crazy

Nose Wayne

4:53 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

WHAT A CROCK IF THIS REALLY HAPPENED!!! Clarke would know what was going on because 1) The police department is notified first of any MEDICAL EMERGENCIES. 2) Wayne First Aid Squad Is DISPATCHED to the school via Wayne Police 3) Captain Clarke is almost at all major incidents (50 stitches I would call MAJOR) 4) A report which is public record is available at the Records Bureau (names are blacked out if it is a minor) 5) So concerned, YES there is a report and YES Captain Clarke knew from the beginning what was going on.HE'S THE PIO (PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER) 6) Great answer Kurt ( Wayne BOE PR Firm Vice President) We CAN NOT COMMENT ON THE MATTER !! So thats what were paying all this money for!!!

Nose Wayne

5:24 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Al, Don't call the PR Firm, they can't comment !!!

Kit Rogers

8:10 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Seems interesting that in the fall there was a fight ,,,police chief goes on news 12, Reports it before the investigation is even partially complete,,,,Gives inaccurate and incorrect information,,,,,,starts a firestorm,,,,,now there is another fight,,,,,,,no comment?....I agree that hs fights are not newsworthy,,,,,,doesn't this make everyone think that there may have been a hidden agenda in the fall?

Wayne is my Home

8:40 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

You are so right Kit

Wayne is my Home

8:38 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

How is it that a police dept and a mayor can make themselves get so involved in one incident and have no comment on another. I would hope that the school supt. will up hold the rules that he so appropriatly made for the Hills Players will be the same for Vally.

Pad

3:54 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012

Mayor as usual never said a word. When things go bad he issues a gag order and is nowhere to be found. He is a horrible Mayor with no guts. Recently a fire inspector was arrested and that story has dissappeared. It seems some type of deal was made. After all he is a friend of the exhalted ruler so lets make a deal and this will go away.

SALLY MAY

4:11 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012

NOPE

Wayne is my Home

8:45 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Where are the police for this poor childs rights to go to school and feel no threats from anyother sudent. Oh thats right its the valley side where they are all victims.

Ginamarie

1:09 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

wowww get real!!! Both of the fights were one on one and both over a girl...never like to see this, but very common in all high schools for ever lets not act like we do not get that lol...can NOT compare two 15 year old boys jumped by a gang of 17 and 18 year old guys!!

Kit Rogers

7:09 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

Gina. Yes both were different circumstances. But nonetheless fights,,,,,and yes.fights happen.. the point is why one was brought to the news media when it never should have been. also. You can be charged for injuring someone whether or. It it is one on one,,,,,,,,I'm not saying anyone should be but you can be charged ,,,,hs fights are not news

Ginamarie

7:55 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

EXACTLY!! hs fights are not news! especially when only one punch is thrown, and btw the one football player that was "involved" is the one who got the stiches, and he walked away because he did not want to get into trouble with football, since in Wayne Valley kids have not been able to play for less than that...but to get back to the whole point, when a gang of football players jump two smaller AND younger by two and three years...that is always going to be news

SALLY MAY

4:28 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012

Just have to correct you ... AGAIN. the one that got stitches was yes, a football player. But the one that gave him the stitches...ALSO a FB player. And BTW..the kdi that just beat up the school officer at valley,..SAME small little defenseless kid that started the fight last fall with hills.....hhhmmmm.

Nose Wayne

8:48 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

If a group of Trumpet Players from Wayne Hills beat up two Drummers From Wayne Valley,do you think it would have made the same HEADLINES ?

Kit Rogers

8:52 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

I still think that the way it was portrayed in the news was wrong. it should not have been reported to the news when the facts were not clear. It caused a lot of upset for all involved. Just as I don't think the latest incident is news!

Nose Wayne

9:01 am on Friday, June 8, 2012

It's sad that little fights like that make headlines,but robberies (both home and auto) seem to get very little attention unless it gets out of control like it was.Thank God THEY FINALLY caught two of the four suspects that were terrorizing this town. HOPEFULLY,it will go back to the peace and quiet town everybody thinks Wayne is!!! We need a rest!