CLOVERDALE, Calif. (AP/KRON) – A California high school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of refereeing a classroom fight club that resulted in multiple student injuries.

Federico Vargas, 41, of Santa Rosa, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of five counts of endangering a child and 13 counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

“He was refereeing the fights as you would see in a boxing ring or an MMA type fight,” said Clovedale Police Sgt. Chris Parker.

The Cloverdale Police Department says Vargas created “a ‘fight club’ style atmosphere” at Cloverdale High School by allowing students to fight and refereeing the fights.

Investigators say more than one student was injured, including a teen who required medical treatment.

Cloverdale Unified School District Superintendent Jeremy Decker says school officials contacted police last week after learning of the alleged fighting “due to the serious nature of these allegations.”

The teacher has worked at the school for eight years and has been put on leave, Decker said.

“To have our students potentially be put in an unsafe environment, it just rocks me,” Decker said. “Just know as a superintendent this has my full and undivided attention and we will do everything in our power to get to the bottom of this and make sure all of our kids are safe.”

One of Vargas’ students thinks it’s unfair he was arrested.

“He’s the best teacher and he’s the only one who all actually cares about his students,” the student said. “It wasn’t like he was making us fight. Two kids had beef [and] wanted to fight each other and this [was] his best solution.”