'Out of control' food fight at elementary school cafeteria leaves 26 students suffering broken bones and head injuries



Dozens of students are recovering from head injuries and broken bones after a cafeteria food fight at an elementary school turned into chaos last week.

About 26 students were injured and eight of them were taken to hospitals following the fight that saw children in grades five through eight throwing oranges and pushing and shoving each other at the Miles School in Garfield Heights, Ohio.



Several students were slammed in the head with food as others were knocked to the ground and tossed against brick walls.



Cuts and bruises: Elementary school students at the Miles School in Garfield Heights, Ohio, recover after being hit by fruit in a cafeteria food fight

Student Dyshanea Scott planned to visit her doctor as she fell and hurt her arm during the melee.

'We was in the cafeteria, and they just started throwing food out of nowhere, the eighth graders,' she said. 'And that's when everything got out of control, and they were pushing me back and forth and things.'

Garfield Heights fire services were joined by five other area emergency rescue crews to help treat students.



'Out of control': Student Dyshanea Scott, who hurt her arm, was one of about 26 students injured in a school food fight that turned into an uproar

Injuries included cuts, bruises and head trauma. One student suffered a broken wrist.

Roseann Canfora, deputy chief communications officer for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, said parents were immediately notified of the ruckus. The district launched an investigation right away.

But many parents argued that they were left clueless about the scuffle until their students mentioned it to them.

Taking charge: Five nearby rescue crews helped the Garfield Heights fire services treat the dozens of students who suffered head injuries and bruises

Tange Douglas was not told by school officials that her daughter, 13-year-old Carletta Lester, had been hurt.

Ms Douglas said she was shocked to learn that Carletta had been struck in the head by an orange and hurled into a brick wall when she later arrived at the school.

'My son called and said there was a food fight and he didn't want to stay on the school premises,' she said. 'And I came up here to get him and see my daughter going out the door on a stretcher.'

Safety first: Ohio school district officials say they will not tolerate activities like the chaotic food fight last week that puts students at risk

School officials said they intended to speak with students about safety and to stress the severity of the situation.

Officer Canfora said in statement that the school district has taken the incident very seriously.