Officials at a New Jersey school district say social media fueled fights between two high schoolers then helped spread "misinformation and falsehoods" that impeded the investigation.
The Record reports that a 14-year-old student at Ridgewood High School has been charged with aggravated assault and simple assault. A 16-year-old is charged with simple assault.
Ridgewood Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Fishbein released a statement Tuesday saying the students fought on school property but outside of school hours on Oct. 27 and 28. One of the students was injured.
A video of one of the fights being shared online shows one boy punching another to the ground with two quick blows, before a third person intervenes, The Record reports. There were reports on social media that one of the boys had a fractured skull.
Fishbein says the district tries to dispel online rumors, but was primarily focused on conducting a thorough investigation of the fights. He declined to say what discipline the school would impose, citing privacy rules.
