FREMONT, Neb (KMTV) — It was a sight no one would expect to find in a middle school gymnasium.
Nearly a dozen students involved in a massive brawl before students had even gone to class.
That melee ended up 8 students expelled for the remainder of the school year, thankfully no teachers or staff were injured.
In the days that followed rumors of threats of violence began to swirl on social media prompting an increased police presence.
Several students were so shook up from the violence and threats that they asked to be pulled from school, including the son of Fremont Middle School parent Troy Henry.
“That’s the first thing that came to mind, if he is calling then this had a pretty heavy weight on him mentally. Enough that he doesn’t want to be there,” said Henry.
Henry said he believes that Fremont Police made the right call increasing their presence on campus but he feels expulsion isn’t enough to solve the problem of escalating violence at the school.
“Don’t just let them not have to wake up for school now, or do schoolwork online, or stay home because they are suspended or expelled. I understand that’s the response but they are going to see it as a vacation, they really are,” said Henry.
The disruptions continued at Fremont Middle School Thursday afternoon. Just a few minutes after we finished our interview with Troy, parents were called back to the school for more threats of violence.
“I didn’t expect to deal with any of this as a parent. Fights and stuff sure, but they have had two different gun threats in two different days now,” said Henry.
A message sent out to parents Thursday afternoon confirmed that additional threats regarding a shooting at the school were found on social media.
Several parents came to Fremont Middle School Thursday afternoon to pick their kids up early but Fremont PD confirmed that the school did not go into lock down.
Fremont Police have also not been able to substantiate any of these threats and they are requesting that anyone who finds threats online to report them directly to the police department and not share them on social media.
Henry said that after the brawl and the threats reported Wednesday he was already considering pulling his two sons out of Fremont Schools entirely.
After another threat Thursday Henry said he is continuing to weigh his options, and said until the threats are resolved his student wouldn’t return to school.
“My fiancee and I already talked and they are not going tomorrow. Absolutely not, until this all gets resolved and everything were are gonna make other plans with that,” said Henry.
