food fight causes suspension of entire 8th grade class causes strife in southern town

yahoo reported

Entire Class Suspended for Food Fight

Thu Nov 18, 5:13 PM ET Strange News - AP

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A cafeteria food fight on "meat loaf day" led to the suspension of the entire eighth-grade class at a Memphis school. The students were suspended after refusing to clean up the mess they caused.

"Given an opportunity first to apologize for their behavior and help with the cleanup, most of the class refused to cooperate," school spokesman Vince McGaskill said.

The food fight broke out Wednesday at Geeter Middle School, which has 637 students in grades six through eight. Meat loaf and chicken were on the menu.

Principal Jada Meeks suspended students who were in the cafeteria during the fight, meaning the youngsters' parents must meet with school officials before the children can return to class.

The cause of the disturbance was not immediately known. No serious injuries were reported.

"Suspending students is never desirable," McGaskill said. "In this case, the principal felt that strong, some may say shocking measures, were called for to spur change."

local memphis paper had the following reports

Editorial 11/20: The food fight at Geeter School
Parents who are confident that every disciplinary decision they've ever made was correct are welcome to second guess Geeter Middle School principal Jada Meeks.
released: 11/20/2004

Parents demand discipline for Geeter principal
Some parent activists are calling for Geeter Middle School principal Jada Meeks's suspension, two days after she suspended 181 eighth-graders for a violent food fight.
released: 11/20/2004

Geeter adjusts to new order
It was a full-out rebellion, the eighth-graders turning apples, meatloaf, trays, chairs and silverware into weapons.
released: 11/19/2004

Food fight causes class suspension
Maybe there was something in the dip? The entire eighth-grade class at Geeter Middle School was suspended Wednesday by the Whitehaven school's principal after what city school officials termed a "massive food fight" in the school's cafeteria and a show of defiance afterward by the children.
released: 11/18/2004

Look at the differences between the various reports! Does this tell us something about the public each report is designed to appeal to?

Bah!

and I missed the damn food figth!!! oh man I am so bummed duuuuuuude!