IPSO responds to bus fight

Five students from the Alternative Center for Education in New Iberia were arrested Friday afternoon following a fight that reportedly took place on a school bus in Iberia Parish.

Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call around 4:30 p.m. about a fight that the school bus driver and bus driver’s assistant were unable to control, said IPSO Information Officer Wendall Raborn.

When deputies arrived, the school bus, which was taking students to Jeanerette, was parked on the shoulder of Louisiana 182 between New Iberia and Jeanerette. Deputies removed the students suspected of fighting — five boys between the ages of 12 and 15 — from the school bus, Raborn said.

The students, who deputies lined up in the grass along the shoulder of the highway on their knees with their hands behind their head, were charged with disturbing the peace by fighting, brought to the sheriff’s office, then released into the custody of their parents, said Raborn.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” said Iberia Parish Superintendent Dale Henderson. “But when that kind of situation arises, we’re going to put the rest of the students’ safety foremost. We’re not going to tolerate that kind of behavior.”

A witness to the scene said a drill sergeant for the Alternative Center for Education also arrived on the scene and struck each of the students on the head with an open hand while deputies were present.

Deputies on scene reported that the man identified himself as the drill sergeant for the alternative school and said they saw him strike the students, Raborn said.

Henderson said the drill sergeant at the alternative school is Fernest Martin.

Henderson declined further comment on the incident Saturday afternoon and said he will first seek information from Martin and the interim principal at the Center for Alternative Education.