HUDSON, Fla. — It was quite a scene at Fivay High School as the Pasco County Sheriff's office showed up in droves with unmarked and marked cruisers, armed deputies and armored trucks.
“Dropping my daughter off this morning, my stomach dropped when I saw that,” said Melissa DiCristina, a parent of a student at Five High School.
Sheriff Chris Nocco even spoke to students inside a classroom.
“Obviously sending a message. We’re trying to send a message that we’re not gonna tolerate any of this nonsense that’s been going on,” said Steve Hegarty, the PIO for the Pasco County School District.
Last week, several fights broke out and a student was arrested for setting a soap dispenser on fire.
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“I think a lot of the kids are scared, the majority of them are nervous,” DiCristina said. “There’s a lot of good kids at Fivay and it’s a shame that they have to be nervous about going to school.”
We spoke to Melissa DiCristina last September about fights disrupting school.
“It kind of comes in waves but it’s not stopping,” she said.
On Tuesday, district officials had to do a controlled release after a student claimed to see someone on campus with a gun.
“OK we take that very seriously. We learned later that it was a complete hoax, he just made it up,” said Hegarty.
What they did find was a gun inside a teachers purse stored in an unlocked filing cabinet. Robin Wilson, 35, told deputies she forgot it was there.
District officials say that was completely unrelated to the fights but...
“I know that some teachers are concerned,” Hegarty said.
We’ve asked the district how many teachers have been injured or filed for workers compensation after being involved or attacked by a student. Plus, how many students have been suspended or transferred for fighting.
They tell us they’re working on that request.
