Screenshots from two fights that recently occurred at Penndale Middle School.
A recent post on the NextDoor app has raised concerns from some parents regarding the frequency of students fighting at Penndale Middle School.
The Sept. 28 post, made by 25-year-old Nicolas Ventresca, included a cell phone video of two students who recently arranged to fight in one of the school’s bathrooms. Ventresca claimed in the post that fights were happening at the school almost daily, and he issued a call to other parents to join together to confront the school district and find out what actions were being taken to limit the violence. (Editor's note: Ventresca is the step-father of a student at Penndale.)
“I just want my child, and all of the kids, to be safe,” said Ventresca, during an interview with North Penn Now. “We send our kids to school 180 days [per year] for six to eight hours [each] day. These kids are in the lower grades of middle school, why do they think fighting is okay?”
In the video attached to the post, two students are seen in the bathroom throwing punches and grappling with each other as another student films it. What appears to be a fourth student can be heard off camera laughing.
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screen shot of the bathroom fight video. (Credit: submitted) |
Ventresca also provided this news organization with a second recent video showing two male students fighting in a stairwell at the school, which was quickly broken up by school staff. Additionally, Ventresca provided a screenshot of a Discord server that Penndale students used to arrange another fight, however that fight reportedly never came to fruition.
Another fight also allegedly occurred in the school’s cafeteria on Monday, according to Ventresca, however the district would not confirm or deny the incident occurred when reached for comment. If confirmed, it would be at least the third fight to occur in the school during the 2022-2023 school year.
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A screenshot
of two male students fighting in a stairwell at Penndale Middle School.
(Credit: submitted) |
North Penn Now has chosen to refrain from publishing the fight videos and the screeenshots of the Discord server, as the children involved in the fights are clearly visible and the names of some students are identified on the screenshots.
A spokesperson for North Penn School District declined to answer specific questions about the incidents, however they provided the following statement when reached for comment Monday afternoon:
“The safety of our students is of utmost importance, and we take instances of in-school fighting very seriously. Two weeks ago, there was a fight between two Penndale Middle School students that occurred in a bathroom. Thankfully, neither student was seriously hurt, and the altercation lasted less than one minute. The students were identified the day of the incident and the students involved immediately received consequences in accordance with the NPSD Discipline Code.
The investigation of the incident found that the two students pre-arranged the altercation, and that another student recorded the incident.
In addition to the issue of fighting in school, the inappropriate use of electronic devices is also a violation of our student code of conduct that results in disciplinary consequences. Students should not be recording other students without their permission in any situation, and students should seek help, in the event that a fight were to occur in school or anywhere.
Unfortunately, the video of the altercation was posted to social media and has resulted in the spread of misinformation. Individuals with any questions or concerns are always encouraged to reach out to the building administration or central office administration for accurate information.
Penndale will continue to enforce school rules and monitor student behavior to promote a safe learning environment. This year’s schedule has allowed for more adult presence in hallways, the cafeteria, stairwells and outside of bathrooms.”
In addition to the videos and screenshots, Ventresca also provided links to social media accounts on Instagram, YouTube and other outlets containing fight videos from Penndale Middle School. A review of those accounts shows several fights inside and outside the school, however the fights themselves occurred prior to this school year. Staff can be seen breaking up the fights in each video, except one which occurred in a neighborhood away from the school.
“I don't understand why they think [fighting is] the only way to fix a problem, because I know we do not teach our son that, and he is never near any violence in our household,” Ventresca said, noting the videos and screenshots were uncovered while he and his wife were scanning through their son’s phone. “I want the bathrooms to be protected. I don't want my child or anyone's child to feel as though they can't use the bathroom because they're afraid of what they might walk into. I expect a place that my child spends so much time at, to help teach them fighting is not okay, and for the teachers and staff members to be aware of these things and keep an eye out.”
Prior to posting on NextDoor, Ventresca said he reached out to Penndale Middle School Principal Stefan Muller via email, however ultimately, he felt dissatisfied with Muller’s response. The email response from Muller, which was provided by Ventresca, reads:
“Good afternoon Mr. Ventresca,
Thank you for the email and information. We were aware of this, including the
video, the same day it happened. We took immediate action regarding the
situation; however, I am unable to comment on incidents related to other
students and discipline. Please know, every lunch period has at least two
members of our security team, at least one principal (sometimes all three of
us), and our school climate coordinator. Although I can only speak to this
school year, it is important to note that fights do not happen every day as
stated. What I can say is that we agree that fighting in school is not
okay."
Following the email, Ventresca said Muller attempted to reach him by phone to alleviate any concerns he may have, but he missed the call and the two have yet to reconnect. He said his next course of action will be to rally together a group of parents to attend the next school board meeting.
“I just want to know this is actively being taken care. I'm working on getting some of the other parents together to stand up at the next meeting,” Ventresca said. “I know fights will happen at school, but this school seems to have it happen a lot.”
When reached for comment, school board President Tina Stoll provided the following statement on behalf of the North Penn School District Board of School Directors:
The safety and well-being of our students is paramount — students need a safe environment to be able to learn effectively. We have confidence in our administrative team and our security department to address situations such as these appropriately. We also appreciate the parents for working collaboratively with the district for the welfare of our students, as this can only help to increase school safety. As always, individuals with concerns are encouraged to report them to the administration at the building or district level.
See also:
Student Charged After Threatening to ‘Shoot Up’ Penndale Middle School
Penndale Middle School Locked Down Tuesday, Three BB Guns Found (UPDATED)
Penndale Memorial Garden Revitalized for Memorial Day Weekend
Penndale Student Named Top 300 MASTER in 2019 Broadcom MASTERS
North Penn School Board Discusses Lack of Air Conditioning in Middle Schools
