Channel 11 has covered the alleged aggressive behavior of a security guard and a principal at Woodland Hills High School, but Target 11 uncovered new allegations of trouble.
Cellphone video given to Target 11 by teachers at Woodland Hills High School shows a fight between students. When a teacher steps in to break it up, he's pushed against the door as fists continue flying. The melee continues into the hallway and two more teachers jump in before the fight is finally ended. Target 11 brought the video to the attention of Woodland Hills superintendent Alan Johnson.
"What you see there has probably happened in a lot of high schools. We just happen to be under the magnifying glass," said Johnson.
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Over the last year, a principal and security guard at the school have come under fire. One was accused of threatening a student in an audio recording. The other was caught on camera grabbing a student by the neck. Some teachers told Target 11 they don't condone the actions of the two, but said the repercussions had a chilling effect, and they're now afraid to do anything.
In a statement, the school's teacher's union president said, "Doing nothing could create a very dangerous situation. In this case, the teachers acted appropriately and the students involved were disciplined..."
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"You'll hear parents say all the time, 'Never put your hands on my kid.' I understand the sentiment, but it's not what Pennsylvania law says. Pennsylvania law says you can use appropriate kinds of restraint to maintain order and safety in the classroom. As you saw there, that teacher was left in a position where he had no choice. He had to physically act," said Johnson.
The teacher in the cellphone video shared with Target 11 suffered bumps and bruises, but had no serious injuries.
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Target 11 dug into statistics and found that according to the Safe Schools report, there were 71 fights in the Woodland Hills district in 2016, with six of those fights resulting in injuries. The superintendent said in 2017, the number of fights dropped below 25, and there were no reported injuries.
"This is the other side of the story that shows there needs to be discipline in our school," said attorney Phil DiLucente, who represents a Woodland Hills District principal. That principal was cleared of any wrongdoing and was reinstated. The security guard's case is still being reviewed by the Allegheny County District Attorney.
"When there are children that misbehave, when there are children that are using physicality on adults, there needs to be the proper discipline. And I believe up to this date, there has been," said DiLucente.