An Arkansas kindergarten graduation descended into madness when a large brawl broke out between parents, forcing school officials to scold the “unacceptable” behavior displayed in front of the little tykes.
Several adults threw punches at each other in the hallway of West Memphis’ Faulk Elementary on Wednesday as the frightened screams of nearby children filled the crowded corridor.
Multiple men and women were in the center of the melee, plowing through the school as other parents rushed to get their children away from the danger, according to video obtained by WREG. Kids could also be heard crying “stop” in the video.
Two taller men appear to stand in the middle in an attempt to separate the fighting women but soon start throwing haymakers of their own.
The fight was eventually broken up as others held back the conflicting parties.
No injuries were reported. A cause for the brawl was not revealed.
One West Memphis resident called for the parents to face criminal prosecution because of their involvement during the big celebration.
“It shouldn’t be happening around children, especially, and these are grown folks at a kids’ graduation. It shouldn’t be happening at all,” the unidentified woman told the outlet. “All of them need to be held accountable for it. Everybody who’s involved. That’s what I think about it.”
No arrests were made at the elementary school, located eight miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.
West Memphis School District Superintendent Eric Foister issued a warning to the involved parents that their time was up.
“We have our own camera system with sound. So we have gathered all that. Obviously, we are a small community, so we have the names,” Foster told Fox 13 Memphis.
The school district has handed the names of the five troublemaking adults to the West Memphis Police and announced it will cooperate with law enforcement, citing its “zero-tolerance” policy.
“The safety and security of our students, staff, and school campuses remain our top priority. We have zero tolerance for any behavior by parents, students, staff, or visitors that disrupts the learning environment or threatens the well-being of anyone on school grounds,” West Memphis School District said.
Foister blasted the adults for their poor role modeling behavior, reiterating that there will be legal repercussions.
“You come into our buildings and you put the safety and well-being of our students and staff in jeopardy, I’m going to hold you to the fullest accountability I am working with our local law enforcement, and I’m going to press any and all charges that I can,” Foister said.
The adults were also banned from the school, effective immediately, the enraged official announced.
“I’m also going to ban you from our school property. The only way, if you’re a parent, you can have access to obviously dropping your kid off and picking your kid up,” Foister said. “We’re not going to; I don’t want to punish the child for the parents’ action.”
