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Page briefly appears on Facebook seemingly promoting fighting at Batavia schools

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATED 1:39 p.m.

For a brief time overnight and this morning, a page appeared on Facebook called "Batavia Fights," which promoted itself as a place for students to post videos of their friends and classmates fighting.

One video was posted of two girls reportedly at Batavia Middle School involved in a fight as classmates cheered them on.

Christopher Daily, assistant superintendent of the school district, said the district was aware of the page and video and were investigating possible student involvement.

"Obviously, we don't condone it," Daily told WBTA. "We will work with the authorities as well to make sure that our students' safety is of utmost concern."

The school district contacted Batavia PD this morning and according to Det. Todd Crossett, the PD used a special law enforcement phone number to contact Facebook and alert the social network to the page.

Crossett he didn't have information on whether Facebook removed the page or if the original poster removed it.

There's nothing criminal, Crossett said, about shooting or posting the video and the actual fight itself is a school disciplinary matter and at this point law enforcement isn't involved.

Comments on the video were mostly approving, calling it "cool" and "funny."

At the end of the video an adult appears to enter the shot and break up the fight.

The video appears to have been posted around 5 p.m., Thursday.

By 11:40 p.m., the page was no longer available on Facebook.

A screen shot and the video were saved by WBTA's Geoff Redick before the page disappeared. Redick blurred the video to make it harder to identify individuals in the shots.

Thomas Mooney

Maybe the supervision outside needs to looked at . These teachers are getting paid to 3:30 PM and some get an extra stipend to supervise outside for 30 min for additional hourly rate at the same time as being paid as teachers . This is called double dipping . Now if they actualy supervised and didn't stand next to each other to conversate . We the public see you and we know that you are not doing anything but collecting twice from the taxpayers . This fight was right outside the doors of the main entrance and it still went on for to long considering the supposed supervision. Why is there a security gaurd at the high school but not the Middle school . If they need one at the High School then we definnatly need one at the Middle School . All this anti-bulling crap is a smoke screen for the Admin. to pat themselves on the back all the wile thigs keep getting worse . The kicker to this is that the Admin . is going after the kids that were there watching the fight and not the fighters . How many masters degrees at the admin. building does it take to get control of this place.

Mar 9, 2012, 1:01pm Permalink
Cj Gorski

It only took 8 seconds until the hair pulling started, typical female fight.

Kids are going to fight, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. At least it happened on school grounds where it was quickly broken up. If they really wanted to hurt each other they would have walked down the street where it could have only gotten worse.

Mar 9, 2012, 1:27pm Permalink
Nathan Oaksford

I like how there are fights and the first thing mentioned is about teachers. People have children and they need to be responsible for them. Teachers are there to teach and promote learning. Parents should spend more time being parents. Unfortunately there are a lot of poor role models around here for kids to learn from. (E.G. The amount of DWI's posted on here every day among other things.)

Is it me or did people just decide to give up respect and self respect, to just increase how much they say we need those things?

Mar 9, 2012, 3:48pm Permalink
jeff saquella

no jason........ its a product of these kids nowadays thinking that this is cool and that they are cool when in reality they look like jerks

Mar 9, 2012, 5:05pm Permalink
scott williams

Here is how I see it, Kids have been meeting each other behind school to fight since there has been schools. The difference between now and the time I went to school is cell phones and all the media sites this kind of behavior can be uploaded to. Kids will be kids and their going to go through these types of things.
Why would they go after spectators watching a fight they weren't involved, you think they have problems at school now try to turn these kids into snitches you'll have more fights. I don't think it is the responsibility of any student to report a fight that is supervisions job.
I will take the comment about society going down hill as a joke being newly invented and it's t.v.'s fault..NOT!!! Kids will always be kids and if you wanna be top dog of your class or school then you have to pay to get there. Take my advice passed down to me at the middle school long ago by the late great Nicholas Borrelli if you boys are going to settle things go do it off school grounds and don't let everyone see..
The kids need to settle more things like this maybe they wouldn't be home cutting themselves, think about it how much can a little hair pulling hurt they'll be fine!!!
By the way there are alternatives to Batavias schools.

Mar 9, 2012, 5:43pm Permalink

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