The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

Fight prompts stringent security

The rules for making unscheduled campus visits during the school day were tightened after the older brother of a senior drove onto campus and engaged in a physical altercation with two students Feb. 25, Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra said.
 
When coming onto campus without an appointment, visitors will have to wait for the student at the security kiosk or check in and wait in the main office, Salamandra said.

“We have asked that [unscheduled visitors] do it in a way that we would have control over,” Salamandra said.

The older brother drove into the North Gate and checked in with security officer Sanders Jackson before walking on campus and getting in a physical altercation with two students. Jackson said the man told him that he needed to talk to his brother.

“I’m figuring he’s just going to talk to his brother for a few minutes, family emergency, something like that,” Jackson said.

Witnesses said a physical altercation between the visitor and several students occurred in the lounge and the quad. Math teacher Bill Thill said that he witnessed a fight, but declined to comment further. Science teacher Wendy Van Norden tried to stop the fight.

“I looked up, Mr. Thill was there, and people were holding kids apart from each other,” Van Norden said.

When the man started to make his exit toward the north parking lot, Van Norden tried to stop him.
“I grabbed his arm. A girl was with him and he was a lot bigger than me, so he sort of pushed me aside,” Van Norden said.

She said she then ran after him yelling for security. She also said that the man was “bleeding profusely from the nose.”

Jackson said he heard the commotion but did not see the fight. He said that the man and the girl drove off campus. Salamandra said that the man’s access to the campus has been prohibited.

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Fight prompts stringent security