Meeting called in Leesburg to address rash of school violence

LEESBURG, Fla. — Close to one dozen Leesburg High School students were suspended in the last week for fighting.

Ten of those happened in 10 different fights on the same day, school officials said.

A lot of times, the violence starts from very insignificant things, Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Fred Jones said.

"Someone looked at me wrong. Someone talked to my boyfriend. Someone said something about me," he said.

The violence wasn’t confined to the high school, community leaders said.

Last month, students from Oak Park Middle School had to be walked home after numerous fights broke out near the school.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office and Leesburg Police Department have both increased their presence around the high school in an effort to stem the violence in the short term.

To formulate a long-term plan, Leesburg community leaders, parents and law enforcement planned to meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the high school to discuss the problem and potential solutions.

“I’m hoping they can get a grip and get it settled down, because right now it’s hurting the good kids,” parent Lori Graham said.

A solution needs to be found before something terrible happens, Leesburg commissioner John Christian said.

"I don't think our young people really understand, that if you fall and hit your head, you land the wrong way, it may not be just a fight, it may be a funeral," he said.

Cox Media Group