WALDORF, Md. — Throughout the school day on October 14, Westlake High School experienced three altercations between students including one that included an assault on a school resource officer(SRO).

By the end of the day, an ambulance had been called out of an abundance of caution, however no students were transported to a hospital for medical attention.

The incidents included one that happened in a school hallway, the second which occurred near the school library, and a third which took place in the student parking lot. All three incidents were broken up by staff, however the SRO was assaulted while assisting to break up the second incident.

The following letter was sent out by the school’s principal regarding the events with more details:

“Dear Parents and Guardians:

I wanted to share with you about incidents that occurred today at Westlake High School. The first incident occurred after lunch in the hallway, and the second incident occurred after 6th period outside of the school library. Students got into a fight and staff members and administration intervened and broke up the altercations during the second incident, additional staff arrived to assist in clearing the crowd of students who had gathered.

As the halls were being cleared, school administrators became aware of a physical altercation we believe resulted from the crowd gathering in our upstairs hallway. This situation included a physical assault on our school resource officer. Administrators intervened and the officer also called for additional police assistance.

At 1 p.m., I called for a Hold status at the school. During a hold status, all hallways are cleared of students and staff and classroom doors are closed and locked. We were on a hold status for about 20 minutes while officers, administrators, and staff cleared halls to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Students transitions to their eighth. Class is without incident.

At the end of our day during dismissal, another altercation occurred near the student parking lot. Staff members and a police officer who was still on site intervened and broke up the altercation. Out of the abundance of caution, an ambulance was called to the scene, but no students were transported.

Please talk with your child about using supports in place at school, and consequences for behavior that violates school policies and rules. Certain behaviors can result in charges by police and our students need to understand the impact of their actions. Staff and administrators are here to help support our students, and available when needed. Please encourage your child to speak to a teacher, administrator, or other staff member if they need help. We need to work together to ensure Westlake is a safe place for all students and staff.

If you have any questions, please email me at droberts@ccboe.com or call me at the school.

Sincerely,

Diane Roberts”

This is a developing story. We will continue to provide additional details as they come available.