On Thursday, November 30, 2023, at approximately 1:12 p.m., police responded to the Great Mills High School for a large physical disturbance.
911 callers reported 20 to 30 students were actively fighting.
An ambulance was requested to standby nearby, however, they were cancelled prior to their arrival.
Principle BeeJay Dothard released the following letter.
“I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to address an incident that occurred today at our school during the transition from lunch to 7th period. I want to assure you that no student was
seriously injured during the altercations that took place. The safety and well-being of our students is our
top priority, and we will not tolerate any behavior that puts them at risk.
After lunch, several altercations happened in different areas of the building and due to the locations this spread staffing very thin making it difficult to know who all were involved.
Unfortunately, these altercations caused a major disruption to the school resulting in students being unable to reach their 7th period class. In order to ensure the safety of all students, we made the decision to request additional police assistance. This was done to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone.
During this time, students were briefly held in their 7th period class until the situation was resolved and all parties were identified. I want to commend our staff and students for their cooperation and understanding throughout this incident. We appreciate their patience and resilience. We are continuing to investigate this situation to understand the cause to work to prevent situations like this in the future.
School is a place where youth come to better themself and learn to become whatever they want to be in life.
This type of behavior not only effects those involved, but all of those who witness it too and will not be tolerated. We will use the SMCPS Student Code of Conduet to issue sever consequences.
We will continue to be vigilant and take any necessary measures to maintain a safe learning environment.
The school administration, along with our dedicated teachers and staff, will continue to work together to address any concerns and ensure a positive and secure atmosphere for your child’s education.
If your student has an issue with another student please encourage them to speak with an administrator or counselor to conduct a mediation or speak with the other party.
Disagreements happen and are apart of everyone’s life; how we handle these disagreements is what can cause unwanted consequences.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. We value your partnership in keeping our school community safe and supportive.”
