POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — Twelve students were taken to an area hospital as a precaution after being pepper-sprayed at a Broward County high school, district superintendent Howard Hepburn said.
The incident happened Thursday afternoon at Blanche Ely High School, located at 1201 NW Sixth Ave. in Pompano Beach.
Hepburn said the pepper-spraying stemmed from an altercation at a neighborhood park the day prior, which students said even involved parents.
He said two students were having an argument about the park incident Thursday and one of the students dispersed pepper spray, causing multiple observers to be also be hit.
“It was for self-defense,” Marc Philippe, a 10th-grader at the school, said. “I kind of feel bad for her.”
Tenth-grader Kiah Hawkins said “they (were) going to jump her, so she pepper-sprayed them,” saying that the group “said they wanted a round two.”
“I think she meant to aim for a girl specifically but you know everyone got hit in the crossfire,” Philippe said.
All of the students were OK, Hepburn said.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a preliminary investigation didn’t show any probable cause for charges against the student who dispersed the pepper spray as of early Thursday afternoon.
Hepburn said district rules allow students to carry a “very small portion” of pepper spray, but they are not allowed to use it on campuses.
“I know some people who bring pepper spray,” Tenth-grader Jazlyn Joseph said. “There are a lot of gangs in this school so they always (are) fighting and trying to start drama and stuff so they (bring) pepper spray.”
The student who dispersed the spray “will disciplined according to our student code of conduct,” Hepburn said.
Another altercation at Blanche Ely recently made headlines. A 29-year-old assistant football coach was arrested in late September after punching a student in the face and attacking other students who “rushed” in, authorities said.
Editor’s note: Officials initially reported that seven students were taken to the hospital. They later reported that an additional five students were transported.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
