By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla. — As a wave of student walkouts protesting federal immigration policies continues across the Tulsa metro, new questions are emerging regarding the use of force at one local high school.
While similar demonstrations at Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow and several other area schools have concluded peacefully, an incident at Will Rogers Middle and High School on Wednesday became the first in the region to end with campus security deploying pepper spray on students.
The confrontation reportedly began when a high school student confronted a seventh-grader over a protest sign. Witnesses said the situation escalated into a physical altercation involving several students.
However, a mother—who spoke to FOX23 on the condition of anonymity—said her son was at the center of the chaos and claimed the response from security was excessive and continued after the fight had already broken up.
“I’ve broken the videos I have down in slow motion,” she shared. “At one point, she’s in the middle of pretty much nothing. People are far out around her and she is still macing in a circle. She’s still pepper spraying people when no one’s around her.”
Her son recalled the moment the chemical agent hit him.
He explained, “The lady just ran over there and pepper sprayed us. Then I go off running to the side, screaming. It just started burning everywhere.”
The incident has drawn the attention of State Representative John Waldron (D-Tulsa), who is a former Tulsa teacher of 20 years.
Waldron pointed to the Oklahoma Administrative Code, which prohibits chemical restraints in public schools and mandates that any physical restraint must last only as long as necessary to resolve an immediate threat.
“I’ve read the codes and they strongly discourage the use of pepper spray on our kids. That shouldn’t happen at our public schools and kids should be safe there. We have to be very cautious before we use chemical agents on students.”
Waldron noted that while school officials often have to think fast during a “serious melee,” the immediacy of the danger must be weighed against the methods used.
“They need to look at the immediacy of the situation. We need to make sure that folks were using the right methods and were clear that the students were given clear warnings and whether that was the only resort that security or police had access to.”
The mother who spoke to FOX23 described a heartbreaking scene in the nurse’s office following the deployment of the spray, noting she witnessed an 11-year-old middle schooler who was “screaming at the top of his lungs” while being treated, his eyes swollen shut.
According to the mother, the students involved in the fight were issued seven-day suspensions.
She described the disciplinary action as a “compromise” presented by the school because the students had already been subjected to pepper spray as an immediate form of punishment.
Tulsa Public Schools released a statement maintaining that the spray was used to stop an active fight and that their previous comments on the matter stand.
The district previously reported that at least one student was treated by EMSA following the incident.
The Oklahoma ACLU declined to comment on the matter at this time.
FOX23 will continue to monitor the district’s internal review into whether the officer’s actions complied with state standards, which forbid the use of restraint for the purpose of forcing compliance.
Tulsa Public Schools’ full statement addressing the incident is below:
“Earlier today, students from Will Rogers Middle and High School exited the academic building and proceeded to the football stadium in a student-led protest. Tulsa Public Schools Campus Police were on site to ensure the security of students and staff. During the course of the protest, an altercation occurred between the students. After students involved in the altercation did not comply with the request of police officers, pepper spray was deployed briefly.
As we work to confirm accurate details, we understand at least one student has been transported by EMSA to be assessed. We will continue to update with any additional confirmed details as they are available.
Tulsa Public Schools has strict policies in place regarding student-led demonstrations to prioritize safety. Students who do not comply with these procedures are subject to disciplinary action as defined by the district’s Student and Family Guide to Success and school behavior expectations.
There is nothing we take more seriously than the safety of students and staff. Students and adults alike play a deeply important in the safety of our schools by alerting us when they see or hear something that concerns them. As always, we encourage everyone in our school community to contact our 24-hour safety hotline at 918-480-SAFE if you see something or hear something that could jeopardize school safety.”
