School board officials warn parents that adults are setting up a “fight club” for students
The first rule of “Fight Club” has officially been broken.
If you have seen the popular “Fight Club” film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, you may recall: “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. Third rule of Fight Club: Someone yells “Stop!”, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule: Only two guys to a fight.”
Parents of children enrolled in Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada, received a letter from the local school board warning them of alleged ‘fight club’ meetups between students in the school parking lots. Police asked the school board to notify parents after two fights were organized by two adults. LegalReader.com has the story highlighted below.
“Two adults appear to be organizing the fights,” according to the board. “The fight is pre-arranged – the location and time is selected, and certain students are invited to the fight. Cars form a circle and turn on their lights. The fight then occurs and is videotaped. The two fights were intense, and injuries were severe. One student was recently hospitalized.”
Calgary police called the behavior “extremely inappropriate and dangerous,” in a statement, and said that “even if the fights are initially consensual, charges can be laid, and individuals could find themselves in jail.”
Police recommend teens interested in fighting for sport to try martial arts, boxing or mixed martial arts clubs in the city, where there is proper equipment, supervision and instruction.
An eighth grader at Woodhaven Middle School in Spruce Grove needed surgery to repair a broken nose and cheek bone and severe injuries to his left eye.
“I didn’t even know what color his clothes were, there was so much blood. And he collapsed,” his mother reported. “Obviously he’s not safe. No kids are safe if these fight clubs are residing in our schools.” She added that the individual who initiated the fight has been expelled, and her son does not wish to return to the school, stating, “I’m looking into maybe some modules or different programming that we can do with him at home. Not just because of the injuries, more for his well-being. He’s really intimidated.”
“The RCMP are working in partnership with the Spruce Grove enforcement officers to monitor social media and creating dialogue within our local high schools to deter students from participating/supporting these types of activities.” The release continued, “If we as administration determine the individual poses a risk to others at school, even though the actions occurred after school, the Education Act does grant us the authority to suspend or expel. If you have questions, please feel free to call the RCMP or your school. Most importantly, talk to your family.”
