The DeSoto school district is investigating after a security guard used a pepper spray device on students during a massive fight last Friday at DeSoto High school.
District spokesperson Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones says the security guard gave plenty of warning to students before deploying the pepper spray after a fight started in the school cafeteria and escalated.
“What you saw in the video was a pepper spray device. Those are allowable. There are certain restrictions about how they can be used. We were in alignment with the permitted use of those,” said Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, DeSoto ISD media spokesperson to NBC 5.
Videos show the guard breaking up the fight with pepper-ball pellets. That video made the rounds on social media, and now people are weighing in.
The district says it's reviewing its policies but at this point says it appears the guard involved was following procedure.
“There were several opportunities and instances in which the security guard in question made several directives asking the kids to comply,” Blackmon-Jones told NBC 5.
A statement in-part from the DeSoto ISD reads: We are aware that a video has been circulating of an incident involving a security person last week. The footage is concerning and does not align with the district's expectations for the address of student activity. The district is in the process of addressing the matter and is limited in what it can offer regarding resolution due to personnel privacy laws. As a result, the district has issued a communication to parents and staff regarding the matter and is working with administrators to address the matter with staff via training and education.
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