OAK LAWN, IL —Two teens were arrested and charged with simple battery after a fight broke out Friday evening in the visitor stands at Korhonen Field during the
Richards v.
Oak Lawn Community High School football game, Oak Lawn police said.
The altercation unfolded at the Richards High School’s homecoming game on the visitors side of the field during the halftime fireworks show where Oak Lawn students and families were sitting for the Bulldogs-Spartan game. Numerous Oak Lawn students and fans were escorted out of the stadium by Oak Lawn police, a parent attending the game told Patch.
In an email that went out Saturday to parents, Dist. 229 Supt. Shahe Bagdasarian sought to provide some clarity to dispel the “many inaccurate rumors that have been posted on social media.”
Bagdasarian said the verbal and physical altercation that broke out during halftime was initiated by a high school-aged girl “who is not an OLCHS student.”
“Several of our cheerleaders were unfortunately attacked … At no time were any weapons involved, nor were there any major injuries, contrary to some reports on social media,” the statement read.
The superintendent also confirmed that parents and students were removed from the game.
Arthur Mrumlinski, a Richards alumni who was attending the game with his children, told Patch that the gates to the Richards homestand were locked for 15 minutes as Oak Lawn students and fans were being removed en masse from the stadium, preventing Richards supporters from leaving.
“It was clearly visible from the Richards side and it escalated,” Mrumlinski said. “Police cleared the entire Spartan bleachers.”
Mrumlinski said that he watched at least seven kids sprinting out of the area during the fracas, as police were running full speed to the visitor bleachers.
As far as the weapon rumor circulating neighborhood social media, “some idiot yelled ‘gun’ during the halftime fireworks show,” Mrumlinski said.
During the game’s second half, the visitors bleachers were empty except for a videographer on the Oak Lawn side of the field. The second half continued with Richards beating Oak Lawn, 68-12.
CHSD 218 Supt. Josh Barron said the altercation broke out on the visitors side of the field. He said responding police departments and D128 security did an excellent job of making sure the game continued without further incident and getting people home safe.
“Sadly there is too much of this going on in high school sports,” Barron said. “We have magnetometers and cameras. Our security drives through our [high school] parking lots looking for suspicious activity and open cars. I feel for kids today, there is a lot of trauma. We’re always striving to figure out the safety standard and getting the funding for safety. I think we do a better job than most.”
Meanwhile, Bagdasarian is encouraging parents to talk to their students about the importance of resolving conflicts constructively and understanding the impact of their actions on the school and greater community.
We hold our students and fans to high standards and take student conduct very seriously, especially during school-sponsored events. We are actively investigating the incident to identify any OLCHS students involved, and I assure you that appropriate consequences will be enforced in accordance with our school and district policies,” the D229 superintendent said.
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