Loudoun County principal discovers middle school students created fight clubs, taking bets
CHANTILLY, Va. (7News) — The combination of violent behavior, apparently organized fights, and promotion on social media led to the discovery of a middle school fight club in a Loudoun County suburb.
The violence even started to creep onto campus, according to school officials.
A spokesperson for Loudoun County Public Schools said the principal of Lunsford Middle School sent a message directly to parents after a physical altercation and increasing activity online.
"Students have created 'fight clubs,' some of them elaborate with brackets, betting, and challenges, and many parents are well aware of their child's participation in them, some hosting in their garages or basements," Principal Carrie Simms wrote in a newsletter to parents.
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If that wasn't enough, the principal writes more about "outside influences" and violent activity further crossing the line.
"We cannot tell you how to parent, but when your children create TikToks and Instagram pages using Lunsford's name and then attempt to hold these fights in our hallways and bathrooms, we will take action," Simms wrote.
Because this situation involves student discipline LCPS said they could not provide any further information.
7News is asking the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office if the parents the principal says were involved could face legal consequences.
They did not respond in time for this report.
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Read the full statement from LCPS below:
In response to a physical altercation last week and the discovery of activity on social media, the principal sent a message to parents via her weekly newsletter. I have provided the message below. Because this involves student discipline, I cannot provide any further information.
Violent behavior, fighting, and its promotion on social media have no place in our school community. We take matters that involve the safety of our students and staff, both physical and emotional, seriously and will continue to enhance our efforts in cultivating a culture of kindness, inclusivity, and affirmation for every member of our student body and staff.
“We'd like to take a moment to inform parents of outside influences that have tried to make their way into the building. Students have created "fight clubs", some of them elaborate with brackets, betting, and challenges, and many parents are well aware of their child's participation in them, some hosting in their garages or basements. We cannot tell you how to parent, but when your children create TikToks and Instagram pages using Lunsford's name, and then attempt to hold these fights in our hallways and bathrooms, we will take action. This past Friday, we needed to do a "reset" in the morning and ask students to come in, get their things from their lockers, and report directly to advisory without the usual 20 minutes of free time to walk around the school to socialize with friends. Unfortunately, some students created a very unsafe situation for all and we needed to be able to start our education for the day in a calm manner.”
