Up to 18 pupils from a South Australian high school have been punished after violating the new state-wide phone ban to organize and film a bare-knuckle fight.
On Friday, disturbing video of the fight between two pupils circulated around the Adelaide school.
Despite phones being prohibited from South Australian schools starting on January 30, the video reveals that at least a dozen more phones were used to record the lunchtime altercation.
According to reports, the tape was sent to all of the school’s students and parents through Airdrop.
The event was not reported to parents by the school until Saturday.
It is known that one of the kids declined to take part in the planned altercation.
One unnamed student told Nine News, “They have like a roster on who fights every day, although I don’t know whether it’s on paper, and they just start fighting each other.”
He felt like he had to fight because older students were calling him names.
One parent described the footage as “disgusted.”
The school has suspended up to 18 kids while the authorities look into the violent event. On Saturday, officers were seen going to the school.
Education Minister Blair Boyer said that by giving up phony phones at the entrance, the students who were recording the incident were allowed to enter the building with their phones.
They are orchestrating or planning the fight on their phones, time it to be recorded, then posting the video on social media, he said.
“I want schools to take firm action, as they have done here,” the speaker said. “They should come down on them like a ton of bricks and suspend those with the phones as well.”
»Adelaide teens record brawl despite school phone ban in South Australia«