Pepper spray incident at Florida high school sends 32 to area hospitals

In Lake Worth, Florida, 32 students and staff were transported to four nearby hospitals after a school safety officer deployed pepper spray to break up a wild brawl at Lake Worth High School around noon Thursday, authorities said.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue confirmed the pepper spray was used to quell the fight, and the district said about 10 to 12 additional people sought treatment at the scene but did not go to the hospital. Fire Rescue initially estimated that 20 to 30 people were treated and transported to area hospitals.

Lake Worth High School Principal Elena Villani underscored that physical altercations are a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct and that the students involved are facing disciplinary consequences. "Fighting or any form of physical aggression is not tolerated at school or any School District property," she said in a statement provided to local outlets.

It isn’t clear what sparked the fight or where on campus it occurred. Officials said the incident prompted a rapid response from the safety officer and first responders, and the scene was not cleared until about 3 p.m. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported that 10 to 12 people were treated at the high school.

Roughly 2,000 students are enrolled at Lake Worth High School, which sits in the heart of Palm Beach County. The school has faced other issues in recent years; in 2023, an AP course instructor at the school was dismissed after he likened two students’ skin tones to coffee roasts. He later said the remarks were meant as banter and admitted they were stupid, but the episode highlighted ongoing debates around school culture.

District officials said the incident remains under investigation and that administrators will review incident response protocols and whether pepper spray was deployed in accordance with district policy. A district spokesperson said additional details would be released as the inquiry progresses.