Cherry Hill, NJ — A clash broke out between students at Cherry Hill East High School during a so-called “global day of rage.” The altercation occurred in the school’s cafeteria and was captured on video, later surfacing online.
The students were seen engaging in a heated debate, apparently over the ongoing hostilities between Muslims and Jews in Israel and the West Bank.
The Cherry Hill School District confirmed the altercation and said the matter was now being handled, promising the schools are safe, but are they? Are any schools in New Jersey safe from the spillover of violence in the Middle East and hateful rhetoric being fed to students across the state?
The district acknowledged the incident was triggered over disagreements between sides in the contentious debate over the war between Israel and Hamas. At this time, it is unknown if charges were filed or if any of the students were disciplined over the altercation.
In the video, students clearly ignored a faculty member’s repeated commands to cease and desist the altercation as it escalated.
“Today, a video of a heated exchange between students at Cherry Hill High School East was widely released, causing further concern in our community. This short video represented a brief moment in time that was addressed immediately by school staff and administration,” the district said. “Our schools are, and always must be, a safe place for all students and all staff. Our staff and administration are working diligently to help students navigate through these times, and to ensure physical and emotional safety in our schools. In addition to the internal supports and resources already being employed in our schools, we are also working with community partners in the Jewish and Muslim communities to assist our students and staff in respectful engagement. Acts of violence, discrimination or mistreatment in our schools are not, and will not, be tolerated. Students who hear or see something upsetting should report it immediately to a trusted adult.”
This incident comes on the heels of a recent terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, where more than 3,000 people have been confirmed dead over the weekend. The timing adds another layer of complexity to an already volatile situation. Cherry Hill Public School District, the 12th largest in New Jersey, is now grappling with the fallout.
A school official is seen in the video trying to break up the argument, without success.
A statement from the school district noted that they are “aware of the incident” and are “taking appropriate steps to address it.”
With 19 schools and approximately 10,800 students, the district faces the challenge of maintaining a safe and inclusive environment amid global tensions that have found their way into the local educational setting.
As the school and district work to respond to the incident, the wider community looks on with concern, watching to see how one of the state’s largest school districts navigates this precarious incident amid ongoing international crises.
Parents of students in the district took to social media and the school board, with concerns over their children’s safety within the district.
Local religious leaders condemned the hate-driven altercation and confirmed other such altercations and religiously motivated incidents happened, but did not identify any.
The Cherry Hill School District Jewish Student Union, Muslim Student Association, and Middle Eastern North African Association issued a joint statement responding to the altercation, “We, as student leaders of the Cherry Hill High School East community, are deeply disheartened by the surge in hatred and violence over the past week in our school…in these challenging times, we must view our fellow peers not as adversaries but as the individuals we’ve grown up alongside since kindergarten. There are no sides in this situation; it’s solely our school united against intolerance.”