OAK PARK, Mich. – Oak Park High School is closed today (April 27th, 2022) after a wild situation Tuesday.
The district said eight to ten adults forced their way past security and fought with students and security inside the school.
So far, only one of the adults has been identified.
We’re told no weapons were involved, but out of an abundance of caution, the Oak Park High School building will be closed for today. Classes will still be held virtually.
The district released a statement late Tuesday that reads:
Dear Oak Park Schools staff and families,
The safety and security of our staff and students is our top priority. I am writing this evening to give you an update on a fight involving multiple individuals that occurred today at Oak Park High School (OPHS). At approximately 2:58 p.m., , eight to ten unidentified adult males pushed past security and staff and forced their way into our high school building and began fighting with OPHS students and security personnel. The OPHS administration, security team and staff took immediate action to secure the building and students. No weapons were involved in the altercation. The men fled and were not taken into custody.
The Oak Park Department of Public Safety was called to the scene and a police investigation is underway. We are also conducting an internal review of the incident, including eyewitness interviews and a review of video evidence
including social media posts of the incident. We have learned the identity of one of the men who forced their way into the school but are seeking information on the remaining individuals involved. We believe this incident may have been triggered by another altercation that happened off school property over the weekend.
At Oak Park Schools, violence of any kind will not be tolerated. We are making every effort to identify those who trespassed on school property, entered our building and instigated violence against our students and staff. We plan to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We have renewed our request for additional law enforcement officers at our high school and are exploring additional security measures. Out of an abundance of caution and because these individuals are still at large, OPHS will be closed to students and families tomorrow while the administration continues to partner with police to investigate and the staff prepares for virtual learning for the remainder of the week. All Pre-K through eighth grade and NOVA students will remain in-person. The high school administration team will meet with staff leadership tomorrow morning to discuss the events that took place. The OPHS staff are required to report to school every morning at 7:50 a.m. as scheduled.
No students will be allowed to enter campus on Wednesday, April 27. OPHS students are required to remotely log into their first period class at 8 a.m. and participate in all classes following their regular schedule on Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29. Virtual attendance is required for all students. Additional information about login and passwords will be sent tomorrow.
We will keep you updated as the situation develops, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this may cause. If anyone has information about this incident, please contact the Oak Park Department of Public Safety at (248) 691-7520 or the OPHS Lead Principal, Pam Vermiglio at (248) 336-7748.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jamii J. Hitchcock
Superintendent, Oak Park Schools
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