No students were criminally charged but “appropriate disciplinary action has been applied” following the Sept. 1 fight by the Bethesda Metro after the Walter Johnson, Bethesda-Chevy Chase high schools.
A criminal investigation is ongoing, according to a joint letter Wednesday from Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Monifa McKnight and Montgomery Police Chief Marcus Johnson.
High school stadiums will be limited to 75% capacity to ease crowd control measures, McKnight and Johnson wrote.
Also, anyone engaging in inappropriate behavior “may be excluded from postseason competition or suspended for multiple contests,” the officials stated in their letter.
They also noted that MCPS may change the dates and times of athletics events so they will be conducted during daylight.
Multiple fights broke out Sept. 1 followed by calls for service in and around the Bethesda central business district. Most happened soon after the football game ended, according to Montgomery County Police. Many of the incidents involved assaults, thefts and robberies.
A video of a fight circulated on social media is believed to be B-CC students assaulting Walter Johnson students, according to police. This incident occurred by the Bethesda Metro, and several people reported there were injuries.
Both McKnight and Jones said they collaboratively will work together “to determine precisely what occurred and to ensure that students involved will be held accountable.”
MCPS and MCP officials will continue to meet to discuss school and community safety, the two officials wrote.
McKnight told MCM that when an incident occurs off school property, MCPS remains involved. “Our students are part of this community,” she said.
It becomes more difficult with high school students, many who drive. With younger students, MCPS staff watch as parents pick up their children following an event. That is often not the case with high school students, she said.
“We need to keep sharing with them and let the students feel part of the community,” she said. The message to students will be that “we and the community are watching.”
MCPS’s Fall 2023 athletic safety plan mandates that students present a school ID when attending a sporting game. School-age spectators from competing schools must be accompanied by an adult, and backpacks are not permitted at games.
“This incident must serve as a teachable moment for our entire community. We must collectively reinforce the values of respect, tolerance, and resolving conflict through peaceful means,” McKnight and Jones wrote.
“Collectively, we encourage parents and guardians to have conversations with their children about the inappropriate choice of violence and fighting, as well as the possible consequences. These conversations are vital in reinforcing the values we hold dear within our community,” they also wrote.
Walter Johnson Principal Jennifer Baker wrote Sept. 3 to community members about the “serious and disturbing attacks and assaults on WJ students after the football game on Friday night that resulted in injuries. I have viewed all the videos and the police are in the midst of their investigation, which I am sure will lead to appropriate actions and disciplines.”
She also wrote that she would work with others “to make sure this does not happen again in the future,” adding, “I know that what happened Friday was very scary for our students who were there and disruptive to our community.”
Baker also sent out a letter along with Shelton Mooney, principal of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, noting that the game went well, and attendees had fun.
Unfortunately, a fight ensued later at the metro station “which then resulted in some serious student injuries. This is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the principals wrote.
The letter mentioned the possibility that one student had a weapon, but that was not confirmed and is still being investigated.
