WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT

COLONIE — Officials at Colonie Central High School moved Thursday to downplay a recent spate of violence there as "a few isolated incidences of student altercations."

Jonathan W. Buhner, superintendent of the South Colonie Central School District, issued a statement on the district's website Thursday saying that "physical altercations ... are not a common occurrence," and that a video being circulated on social media depicting a montage of fight scenes involving students is misleading.

"In regard to the video that is circulating on social media, it shows a compilation of fights that have occurred at Colonie Central High School over an extended period of time," he said. "This altered video is not a representation of a single day at Colonie Central High School but rather events that have occurred over months or even years."

Christopher Robilotti, the high school's principal, also sent a letter to the district characterizing the recent fights as "uncharacteristic and unsettling" and called on parents to share the administration's concerns with their children about "promoting, celebrating and videotaping these moments."

When asked for comment late Thursday, Robilotti declined and referred the Times Union to the superintendent's statement posted on the district's website.

A copy of a video provided to the Times Union shows a series of violent incidents between students in hallways, classrooms and bathrooms. In some of the footage, teachers or administrators are shown trying to intervene and in some cases were also assaulted. The video is being promoted on social media as depicting fights taking place over two days last week, but school officials dispute that.

Still, Buhner said the violence is unacceptable.

"The recent altercations that your children might be discussing at home involved a few students who decided to participate in these planned altercations," he wrote. "These incidences and any future incidences of a similar nature will be addressed according to our Code of Conduct. Students involved may be subject to immediate suspensions, the Superintendent hearing process including potential long-term suspensions, and police involvement."

The district removed Buhner's statement from its website overnight Thursday. Kara Granato, a spokeswoman for South Colonie, said the district had "kind of moved forward on that" but promptly provided the Times Union with a copy of the superintendent's statement.