Police Arrest 4 John Muir Students

Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Edwin Diaz said today that 18 John Muir High School students have been suspended and 4 arrested by Pasadena Police as the result of an on-campus brawl which erupted last Friday around 1 p.m.

“A conflict between students and horseplay at lunchtime resulted in several fights involving approximately five students on Friday,” Diaz said today.

The incident prompted Pasadena police to respond with other agencies.

Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez had said on Friday that he coordinated with “the Pasadena Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol, all of which were involved in today’s response, from the active command post to the perimeter of the school.”

“All students at the school were ordered to their classrooms immediately to allow school administrators and police officers to isolate the disruptive students,” Diaz said.

Although some students had reportedly told members of the press that the fights were racially motivated, Diaz said that conclusion was “premature.”

About 1,200 students were on campus at the time of the fighting. Two were transported to a local hospital for medical attention, school officials said.

Diaz said today that classes had resumed this week and the John Muir campus has returned to normal.  Additional police are patrolling the campus, he noted.

“In the past four years, Muir’s students, staff, and administrators have worked hard to transform the academic program and school culture,” Diaz said. “ The thoughtless actions of a few students should neither reflect negatively on the entire student body, nor distract from the focus on learning and achievement on the Muir campus.”