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DEDHAM —
It happened, Dedham High students said, just like in the movies.
One moment, a student yelled “Food fight!” The next, chaos.
Tables and chairs were flipped over, rice, apples and chocolate milk were thrown, and “there was a lot of screaming going on,” Jessica Cote, an 18-year-old senior, said today after school. “Just mayhem.”
The food fight took place near the end of first lunch Wednesday.
“I heard people talking about it in the lunch line, but I didn’t think it was actually going to happen,” said Cote, who said she did not join in the food fight.
“They took the dressing dispensers and were shooting them at people,” she recalled. “Some people were in the nurse (office) with fat lips from apples.”
She said the fight lasted for a good five minutes. Other students estimated that it was shorter, between 30 seconds and two minutes.
“Everyone knew about it, but didn’t plan it,” said sophomore Vinny Iarrobino.
When things escalated, “Someone flipped a (table) like a barricade,” said sophomore Edgard Henriquez, who was standing outside the main entrance with Iarrobino and a few other students after school today.
“It was like in the movies. Everybody yelling ‘Food fight!’ and throwing stuff,” said a baseball player who would not give his name.
Andrew Haskell, a 16-year-old junior, said he had juice, milk and barbecue sauce in his hair. “Everyone had to throw at least something,” he said.
Added Cote, “At that point, it’s kind of self-defense.”
When it was over, the cafeteria was a big mess. It was clean this afternoon, save for a large ketchup stain on the ceiling in the middle of the room.
“The ceilings are made of cardboard, so that’s going to stay there until we change the ceiling,” Cote said.
Lunch ladies were shaken by the episode, and teachers were mad, the students said this afternoon. As Cote put it, “Everybody was pretty riled up after that for the rest of the day.”
Principal Jake Santamaria did not return a call for comment, and was not available when a reporter dropped by the main office today.
Police said they are talking with the school and investigating who was involved and what happened.
“We were called down for the disturbance, and we’re working with the school at this point on a follow-up investigation just to see if there’s any criminal actions,” and whether charges will follow, said Lt. Robert Nedder.
It happened, Dedham High students said, just like in the movies.
One moment, a student yelled “Food fight!” The next, chaos.
Tables and chairs were flipped over, rice, apples and chocolate milk were thrown, and “there was a lot of screaming going on,” Jessica Cote, an 18-year-old senior, said today after school. “Just mayhem.”
The food fight took place near the end of first lunch Wednesday.
“I heard people talking about it in the lunch line, but I didn’t think it was actually going to happen,” said Cote, who said she did not join in the food fight.
“They took the dressing dispensers and were shooting them at people,” she recalled. “Some people were in the nurse (office) with fat lips from apples.”
She said the fight lasted for a good five minutes. Other students estimated that it was shorter, between 30 seconds and two minutes.
“Everyone knew about it, but didn’t plan it,” said sophomore Vinny Iarrobino.
When things escalated, “Someone flipped a (table) like a barricade,” said sophomore Edgard Henriquez, who was standing outside the main entrance with Iarrobino and a few other students after school today.
“It was like in the movies. Everybody yelling ‘Food fight!’ and throwing stuff,” said a baseball player who would not give his name.
Andrew Haskell, a 16-year-old junior, said he had juice, milk and barbecue sauce in his hair. “Everyone had to throw at least something,” he said.
Added Cote, “At that point, it’s kind of self-defense.”
When it was over, the cafeteria was a big mess. It was clean this afternoon, save for a large ketchup stain on the ceiling in the middle of the room.
“The ceilings are made of cardboard, so that’s going to stay there until we change the ceiling,” Cote said.
Lunch ladies were shaken by the episode, and teachers were mad, the students said this afternoon. As Cote put it, “Everybody was pretty riled up after that for the rest of the day.”
Principal Jake Santamaria did not return a call for comment, and was not available when a reporter dropped by the main office today.
Police said they are talking with the school and investigating who was involved and what happened.
“We were called down for the disturbance, and we’re working with the school at this point on a follow-up investigation just to see if there’s any criminal actions,” and whether charges will follow, said Lt. Robert Nedder.
Police do not have any reports done at this point, he said early this afternoon.
The “disturbance,” which was called into police at 12:26 p.m. yesterday, had already ended when officers arrived, Nedder said.
Reportedly four police cruisers went sent to the scene. Nedder said at least two officers went there.
Sophomore Cristian Martinez, 15, said the food fight was a one-time event. Said Henriquez, “This is never going to happen again.”
In the immediate aftermath, Cote said, chocolate milk ruined her homework assignment, which her teacher wouldn’t take.
“It was just kind of dripping,” she said. “That’s what you get for doing your homework at lunch.”
Please check WickedLocalDedham.com for further updates.
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
