Tift County High students pepper sprayed during lunchroom fight

TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) – Several Tift County High School students were pepper sprayed during a lunchroom fight Wednesday.

Tift County High Principal Jennifer Johnson issued a statement to parents and guardians Wednesday afternoon saying the fight took place in the Commons area and that “due to the number of students surrounding the situation, the school security officer was forced to use pepper spray to allow law enforcement to exercise control.”

School nurses assisted several students with eye washes and the school says all students involved were treated.

The statement went on to say that an investigation into the fight has begun and that “we will take appropriate disciplinary action against all students who were involved.”

Read the full statement below.

“We are writing to inform you of a serious incident that occurred during one of today’s lunches at Tift County High School. A major altercation broke out in the Commons, and due to the large number of students surrounding the situation, the school’s security officer was forced to use pepper spray so that law enforcement could gain control.

The safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities. School nurses are currently treating several students affected by the pepper spray with appropriate eye wash procedures. All students involved will receive the necessary medical care.

We understand that this incident may be concerning and we want to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously. The school administration is conducting a thorough investigation into what happened and we will take appropriate disciplinary action against all students involved.

We ask for your understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety and security of all our students. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact the school management.”

WALB is working on more details about the incident, including the number of students involved. We will keep you informed of new developments.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs to be corrected? Let us know. Add the article headline to your message.

Follow WALB on to stay up to date with all the latest developing news Facebook And X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app Apple Store or Google Play.