Student Allegedly Attacks Principal Over Cheetos: Lafayette High School Student Suspended

An unidentified flying bag of Cheetos led to a brawl between a 17-year-old student and his assistant principal, school officials in Indiana say.

Authorities with the Lafayette Police Department arrested the unnamed Jefferson High School student on Monday after he allegedly attacked the school's assistant principal, Roger Francis, the Journal and Courier reports.

The incident took place at approximately 8 a.m., as students congregated outside the school's library waiting for class to begin. At that time, someone threw a bag of Cheetos, striking Assistant Principal Francis, according to reports.

As the administrator attempted to identify who threw the snack, he summoned the unnamed student to his office. But the student refused, instead attacking Assistant Principal Francis and grabbing him by the throat.

Lafayette School Corp. Superintendent Ed Eile described the scene.

"Cheetos went flying everywhere," Eiler said Tuesday, according to reports. "As to whether or not the bag was thrown at him, or why it was thrown in that general direction, we're looking into."

Footage of the incident was posted to YouTube, only to be removed shortly after. Local television station WLFI obtained clips of the incident, which are included in the report, above.

The student is suspended pending internal review. He could face expulsion as well as additional disciplinary actions.

CORRECTION: A previous headline for this article referred Roger Francis as a teacher. He is the assistant principal.

Comments

[American Subversive]

10:37 PM on 02/20/2012

Another_thug. Go figure!

[mother10]

10:43 AM on 02/21/2012

be quiet...

[American Subversive]

03:28 PM on 02/21/2012

Make me.

[dante2810]

06:22 PM on 02/20/2012

Grabbing a Vice Principle by the throat in the middle of school seems to be indicative of bigger issues than just throwing Cheetos around.

[mother10]

10:43 AM on 02/21/2012

agreed !

[outloud]

03:56 PM on 02/19/2012

Several of the posters below have suggested the student get expelled. Seriously?

You want some young man with that sort of rage just turned loose on the public streets and waaaay too much time on his hands?

We don't really know what's going on between the adult and the student but just expelling the young man, hoping it will all go away isn't the answer.

[gumbo1049]

09:42 AM on 02/18/2012

EXPEL HIM AND PROSECUTE HIM !!

[bridgeman]

02:38 AM on 02/18/2012

Life altered by a package of cheetos... I hope cooler heads will prevail.

[NemoGirl]

12:07 PM on 02/17/2012

So many children have so much built-up anger and frustration. Perhaps it's a sign of things going on at home. However, I wonder if a couple of weeks of "Anger Management" or "Conflict Resolution" should be required in schools similar to Health or Physical Ed. I think those coping skills could help many students learn how to deal with conflicts.

[happyblackman]

09:53 AM on 02/17/2012

I think the radical right likes to see students out of control. They can divert more education funds into building more prisons.

[dennismcmh]

09:44 AM on 02/17/2012

I have an 11 year old grandson, that has had 8 referrals to the principal since November, 2011. His mother doesn't even get informed of such referrals until days after the incident. He now has been suspended for ONE DAY for threatening his teacher. ONE DAY !!! We have taken him to "New Horizons", numerous times to get him help; whether it be medication or whatever they think will help this boy. They say that he doesn't meet the criteria for inhouse counseling. He bullies other students and his siblings . When punished; he bangs his head against the wall and screams that "he hates his parents" and that "everyone makes this stuff up". We can watch him do something; then confront him with it, he denies that he did it AND he believes his own lies. He sometimes goes into a rage when being scolded and draws back with a fist at his mother. YET....he doesn't meet the "criteria".We are told that unless HE wants to go there; they can't keep him. WE would have to take it to the courts or wait until he hurts himself or someone else. GEE.....I WONDER WHY THIS CONTINUES. I guess they need a quota of people being assaulted or even killed, before they will take action and try to help a child. The system doesn't want to do their job and help these kids BEFORE they hurt themselves or someone else.

[ProfessorBIGWUN]

04:32 PM on 02/17/2012

Get some good insurance on him. He'll be dead soon.

[mother10]

10:48 AM on 02/21/2012

call the police department they will tell you which clinic/programs will take him...he does need some meds and talk therapy as soon as possible...good luck and don't give up...your honesty will get him the services he needs...

[DarkandLuvly]

12:20 AM on 02/17/2012

well technically the principal did grab him first. lol

[ProfessorBIGWUN]

04:34 PM on 02/17/2012

"...As the administrator attempted to identify who threw the snack, he summoned the unnamed student to his office. But the student refused, instead attacking Assistant Principal Francis and grabbing him by the throat...."

[DarkandLuvly]

06:20 PM on 02/17/2012

the reporter said the student refused to go and then the asst principal grabbed his arm....guess we have conflicting stories. neither of which makes since to cause such a dramatic reaction from the student.

[mother10]

10:49 AM on 02/21/2012

YES, and the first thing they tell US is " do not TOUCH the children " unless they attack you first...call school security and wait...unless someone is in danger...

[Mon Key]

11:30 PM on 02/16/2012

Expel that ignorant, disrespecting punk.

[mother10]

10:49 AM on 02/21/2012

I bet you are great to live with !

[SillyJellyGoesRawr]

11:26 PM on 02/16/2012

Wow. I can't believe this qualifies as news.

[dennismcmh]

09:48 AM on 02/17/2012

I don't consider it news....I consider a confirmation that "The System" doesn't want to help these kids BEFORE something like this happens. They wait until it escalates into an assault on someone, before they bring problems to the attention of someone that might be able to prevent such incidents. NO-ONE wants to help these kids that act out. All they want to do is wait until someone gets hurt, or they hurt themself, before they take action.

[ryan jenkem]

10:29 PM on 02/16/2012

One hopes this Joey will be tried as an adult for assault & battery.

[salamanca1]

03:39 PM on 02/18/2012

You're calling him a baby kangaroo!?

[rhooligan77]

08:08 PM on 02/16/2012

Stupid punk trying to impress other students. I knew a lot of useless people like this when I was in high school 20 years ago. Things haven't changed that much. There were stupid kids then and there are stupid kids now. This incident will only make him think he's tougher when really he's probably a big coward.

[dennismcmh]

09:52 AM on 02/17/2012

One of the problems in today's society is people with YOUR attitude. I'm not saying, in all cases; but some of these kids are not punks or stupid, they have mental, emotional, behavioral conditions that they can't control and the system doesn't want to do anything ahead of time to help them, when they seek help. They wait until someone gets hurt or they hurt themself, before the system addresses the problem. I see it with my own eyes. We have tried to get my grandson help for his acting out and the "System" tells us that he doesn't meet the "Criteria" for psychiatric assistance. I guess because he hasn't killed anyone or attempted suicide yet, that he doesn't meet their "criteria". You can't ALWAYS blame the child. The SYSTEM is at fault a good percentage of the time.

[rhooligan77]

08:10 PM on 02/17/2012

I'm sorry. Attacking a principal over a bag of cheetos is stupid. I had emotional and mental issues at his age too. I never attacked my principal or even talked back to anyone in authority. I still knew right from wrong. You may have seen it but I have lived through it.

[dennismcmh]

09:57 AM on 02/17/2012

How many different names are you going to use to post the same comment????

[azman69]

07:59 PM on 02/16/2012

Another candidate for the prison system. Some peoples children!

[Ryan Halligan]

07:58 PM on 02/16/2012

Stupid punk trying to impress other students. I knew a lot of useless people like this when I was in high school 20 years ago. Things haven't changed that much. There were stupid kids then and there are stupid kids now. This incident will only make him think he's tougher when really he's probably a big coward.

[C A Button]

09:54 PM on 02/19/2012

I can see you are one of those who enjoys abusing kids by calling them names such as stupid kids.. and it's people like you that get thrown to the ground when they've had enough.. this asst principle had no right aggressively grabbing this student and attempting to drag him to the office, not even knowing who had done this supposedly terrible crime.. I would help them get you to the ground.. and I am female with no prior history of aggression with authority figures, but I don't support it and never have..

[mother10]

10:54 AM on 02/21/2012

until it's his own stupid kid...