AMHERST, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — On Friday afternoon an altercation broke out amongst several students at Amherst Regional Middle School, also leading to the injury of several staff members and escalating when students’ caregivers became involved.
According to Superintendent Dr. Xiomara Herman, a shelter-in-place was issued out of “an abundance of caution” while Amherst police stepped in to deescalate the situation.
In response to the incident, Superintendent Dr. Xiomara shared in a letter to the community that the district will be issuing a “Caregiver Code of Conduct” to detail expectations for school and caregiver collaboration and she believes it is “important that we take this moment to reflect together. Our children are watching us—how we handle conflict, how we treat one another, and how we show up in difficult moments. It’s on all of us to model respectful and productive ways to engage, even when emotions are high. I truly believe we can do better—and that together, we can help guide our students toward healthier ways of resolving issues.”