Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) students in Bethesda and Clarksburg were involved in two separate off-campus altercations this week that resulted in two students being transported to local hospitals, according to school officials and radio transmissions.
Assault near Walter Johnson High
On Thursday, an assault between multiple juveniles occurred at roughly 11:41 p.m. in the 10400 block of Old Georgetown Road near Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, according to Montgomery County police spokesperson Casandra Tressler Durham. Tressler Durham said Friday afternoon that she couldn’t confirm if the juveniles involved were students.
However, according to public radio transmissions, dispatchers received a call for a community engagement officer to respond to the main office of Walter Johnson High at roughly 11:43 a.m. An assistant principal called, saying there was an altercation between students and one of the students was injured. A community engagement officer is a police officer assigned to a MCPS high school cluster.
According to radio transmissions, 10 suspects were involved, but at roughly 11:43 a.m., the suspects’ locations were unknown.
Tressler Durham said a male juvenile was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are investigating the incident, she said.
MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez said the incident occurred off campus and a community letter concerning the incident wasn’t sent to families by Walter Johnson Principal Nicole Morgan. Lopez didn’t respond Friday afternoon when asked to confirm if those involved in the altercation were students.
Clarksburg, Damascus high schools altercation
According to a joint letter from Damascus High School Principal Bradley Rohner and Clarksburg High School Principal Anita O’Neill, students from both high schools were involved in an altercation Wednesday that occurred at lunchtime near Clarksburg High School.
The altercation resulted in an injury, according to the letter, and the injured student was evaluated by the school nurse and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews, who ultimately transported the student to a local hospital for further evaluation.
“Both schools are actively investigating the incident in partnership with [Montgomery County] Police, and all students involved in this serious matter will face appropriate consequences in accordance with the Montgomery County Public Schools Code of Conduct,” the letter said.
The incident was also videotaped, according to the letter, and was being shared among students and “possibly others.”
The letter encouraged families to discuss the harm resulting from sharing such videos and to tell students the importance of reporting such incidents to school officials.
“We are deeply saddened that this conflict escalated to physical violence, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students,” Rohner and O’Neill said in the letter.
