18 students at Proviso West High School in west suburban Hillside have been arrested after recent fights at the school.
On Monday, 15 students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct following a fight inside the school's lunchroom. 14 were juveniles and one was legally an adult. All were released to their parents later that day.
When it started, the police liaison officer tried to break it up, but things were out of hand and he had to call for police backup.
"When he got up and involved with the fight, the kids continued to fight and they wouldn't listen to him, they were not listening to school staff, or administration so he had to call for assistance," Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek says.
Lukaszek said Privoso West has no more fights than any other school around the country, but a quick check on YouTube found several others at the same school--including one just last week.
There was another one on Tuesday, but no arrests were made in either of those incidents.
All of the students in Monday's big fight have been suspended. Police say it was not gang related, and the chief said emphatically that no weapons were involved.
"And that's a part of the problem," Lukaszek says. "Over the last couple of days, through all of the social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, a lot of people have been posting various misinformation about guns being found, people being shot, people being stabbed. None of that is true."
The police chief tells FOX 32 News that the big fight on Monday was sparked by an incident a few weeks ago, but he did not provide any details.
Police are taking extra precautions at the school to deter any more problems, but the chief tells parents and students they should not be afraid to come to school.
Thursday, June 13 2013 1:45 PM EDT2013-06-13 17:45:09 GMT
Even a fire hydrant is feeling the Blackhawks spirit, especially after Chicago's midnight victory over the Boston Bruins at the United Center in triple overtime.
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Monday, February 25 2013 1:41 PM EST2013-02-25 18:41:37 GMT
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:19 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:19:20 GMT
Nine Lafayette Elementary parents and students have occupied a Lafayette Elementary school classroom, in a sit-in style protest against the school's closing.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:27 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:27:06 GMT
Now that obesity has been officially classified as a disease by the AMA, many are wondering how this will affect the 35.7 percent of Americans who are described as obese.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:14 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:14:33 GMT
Two government aid programs somehow became one Wednesday afternoon on the West Side. Hundreds of people lined up for both food and flood assistance at the state office at Chicago and Pulaski.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 4:10 PM EDT2013-06-19 20:10:10 GMT
Chicago is at the tipping point, as the showdown continues over CPS closings. The final bell will ring for more than half of the public schools scheduled to close on Friday, under CPS' reorganization plan.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 3:48 PM EDT2013-06-19 19:48:47 GMT
A body found in the water off the 39th street beach Wednesday has been positively identified as missing University of Chicago student Austin Hudson-Lapore, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 2:12 PM EDT2013-06-19 18:12:39 GMT
Police are urging parents and community members to exercise caution after a man tried luring an 11-year-old girl into a car in the North Side Albany Park neighborhood.
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Wednesday, June 19 2013 2:08 PM EDT2013-06-19 18:08:32 GMT
After collecting tens of thousands of dollars for themselves on Wednesday, members of the General Assembly plan to kick the can of public employee pension reform down the road for at least one more month.
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