On Monday, September 16, 2024, Colquitt County High School students reported an incident that occurred on Friday evening after the high school football game had ended. The report prompted an investigation by the school district with the assistance of the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office.
Approximately an hour after the game, two students began fighting outside the stadium on school property. At some point, a parent of one of the students entered the altercation. The parent had a firearm at the time. No shots were fired, but the parent did pull out the firearm in what appeared to be an attempt to stop the fight before becoming physically involved in the fight themselves.
The fight broke up and was not reported by any bystanders until the report came in on Monday to school administrators. Upon receiving the report, an investigation immediately began, which led to the identification of the two students and the parent. The students are being disciplined following the Student Code of Conduct and are facing criminal charges by the Sheriff’s Office. The parent is facing criminal charges by the Sheriff’s Office.
“Our first fundamental pillar guiding our mission is to create a safe and positive learning environment, including extra-curricular events. The actions these students and a parent took are unacceptable,” shared Superintendent Dan Chappuis. “I applaud the students who reported the incident on Monday; however, I want to remind everyone that we have tools to report incidents immediately. Anonymous Alerts provides real-time reporting and notification to the appropriate responders. I am also frustrated that a parent in our district thought that behavior was appropriate. We will not tolerate incidents like this at any school-related event or on any school grounds.”
Football games regularly draw some of the largest crowds in our community. The school district, the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Moultrie Police Department have worked together to ensure safety at each game. “We have worked diligently over the past several years to enhance the safety of all our schools and activities,” shared Sean Edgar, Director of School Safety. “At Mack Tharpe Stadium, we have added additional cameras, require clear bags, student IDs for ninth grade and above, and parental supervision for those in eighth grade and below. As with any public event, there is an expectation that adults adhere to and help enforce the safety measures in place.”
In addition to the safety measures above for game attendance, the Moultrie Police Department and the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Department are at every home game. Moving forward, the Moultrie Police Department will start clearing all school parking areas after the game has ended and spectators are out of the stadium. No loitering on school grounds will be allowed.
Colquitt County School District asks all spectators, parents, and guardians to set a positive example for students to follow at any event or activity they are involved in. Ensuring safe environments in the school building and at school-related events is something we must do together. For more information on district-wide safety protocols and links to our Anonymous Alert app, visit https://www.colquitt.k12.ga.us/departments/school-safety/index.