Dayton Public Schools steps up security following large after-school fight

DAYTON — Dayton Public Schools has extra personnel on hand this week at multiple buildings following a large fight the district said broke out after classes ended Monday at Thurgood Marshall High School.

Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said in an email to WHIO Tuesday, the fight stemmed “from something outside of school that happened over the weekend.”

Tuesday evening, at a DPS Board of Education meeting, Lolli confirmed the fight at Thurgood Marshall is connected to a string of recent violence among teenagers in the city.

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“This past week several families were affected by the violence that has occurred,” Lolli said. “(Monday) the issues moved to some of our schools.”

Dayton Police last week described the recent violence in the city as an ongoing series of retaliations between two groups of teens, largely stemming from a recent homicide.

News Center 7 confirmed with a DPS spokesperson, at least three of the young people involved in the violence of recent weeks are either current or former Dayton students.

Board of Education Vice President William Smith spoke Tuesday evening, to the toll this violence takes.

“Every time we see a student lose their life, this means that we have students that are waking up knowing they won’t see a friend anymore,” Smith said. “I challenge everyone to see how can we come together.”

Lolli said the district has added personnel on hand at multiple school buildings through this week. WHIO observed a uniformed security officer checking in with vehicles entering the Thurgood Marshall property Tuesday afternoon.

Lolli called on the community to help put an end to the recent violence.

“It is imperative that we as community members find solutions to conflicts many of our children are engaging in,” Lolli said. “I’m urging parents and guardians, churches, the city, the police department, and the school district to work together to find solutions so that we do not lose anymore students or children to the violence that has been occurring.”

Cox Media Group