Education

Pepper spray used to subdue aggressive student at Lexington high school

Lafayette High School in Lexington, Ky. Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023
Lafayette High School in Lexington, Ky. Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 rhermens@herald-leader.com

An ambulance was called to Lexington’s Lafayette High School Wednesday after Fayette County Public Schools police deployed pepper spray to subdue a physically aggressive student.

Principal Anthony Orr told families in a letter obtained by the Herald-Leader’s reporting partner WKYT, a disorder took place when a student attempted to make aggressive physical contact with a student from another classroom.

FCPS police officers immediately responded to de-escalate the situation, the letter said.

“The teacher immediately directed the other students to evacuate the room and students were relocated to the cafeteria,” the letter said.

“The student who initiated the aggression became combative with staff and officers,” the letter said. “After refusing multiple verbal commands from staff and officers, an officer deployed pepper spray to subdue the student and ensure the safety of officers and staff.”

Lexington Fire Department officials told the Herald-Leader they were dispatched to the school at approximately 2:36 p.m. for a report of an injured person.

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Valarie Honeycutt Spears
Lexington Herald-Leader
Staff writer Valarie Honeycutt Spears covers K-12 education, social issues and other topics. She is a Lexington native with southeastern Kentucky roots.  Support my work with a digital subscription
Christopher Leach
Lexington Herald-Leader
Chris Leach is a breaking news reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with the Anderson News and the Cats Pause. Chris graduated from UK in December 2018. Support my work with a digital subscription
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