Casa Grande school district discusses fight at opening night football game and future prevention
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. - The community of Casa Grande is looking to move ahead after a fight at a high school football game forced fans to leave the stands.
The school district is hosting a meeting with the community to go over what happened and how to prevent such incidents in the future.
Casa Grande Union High School Superintendent Jeff Lavender stressed that the disappointing events of the season's first game do not define the school or community, and together they will be better because of lessons learned.
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On August 30th, the Cougars defeated Tempe's Corna Del Sol in a stunning upset, but the victory wasn’t so sweet.
What happened off the field remains in the spotlight: a fight that police reports say was sparked by personal feuds.
A scuffle in the stands took an apparent ripple effect, with police documents mentioning a series of chaotic episodes: a woman with bloodshot eyes seemingly intoxicated, pulled hair, an officer with a busted lip, and even a one-year-old child reportedly hit twice in the face during the mayhem.
Casa Grande Police told fans they had to leave.
Lavender says the district has a plan for Friday night and this evening is a chance for parents, students, and community members to weigh in, and share their concerns and ideas.
"We as a community are going to grow from this, the staff and everybody. So when we talk about that journey, we have already begun the steps of moving forward. We never, ever want to go through a situation like this again," said Jeff Lavender.
They are expecting to hear from parents, community members, and students.