GRAPHIC: Four parents arrested after large fight between students, parents at Manning High School

MANNING, S.C. (WIS) - Four Manning High School parents have been arrested after a large fight broke out between parents and students on school grounds.

The Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office said parents and children started engaging in what the agency described as a “brawl” in the school’s main lobby at around noon on Tuesday.

Four parents face public disorderly conduct charges, Ashley Brock, 30, Santana Butler, 37, Andrea Walters, 35, and Ebony Hilton, 39.

“It’s really sad,” Lynn Robinson, a Manning High School grandparent, said. “I mean kids are going to get into it sometimes, but a lot of times they get that from home, the examples from home. And when the parents get into it also, it’s just getting sad. And it’s getting worse these days at all the schools with the shootings and stuff. You just don’t ever know what’s going to happen.”

An incident report states that a prior physical altercation between students led to the fight.

Per district protocol, the parents were notified about that fight.

When those parents arrived at the school to pick up their children, the situation escalated before School Resource Officers and school administration could intervene.

During the incident, both students and parents had to be separated, detained, and removed from the school, according to investigators.

The incident report states that when deputies arrived, they had to try to separate Brock and Hilton.

Two students then joined in, and one student punched Brock several times in the face.

“It doesn’t make any sense fighting in school,” Pastor Sampson Pearson, a former Manning High School parent, said. “School is for where you get your academic education, not for violence. We have enough of that in the street as it is.”

EMS responded to treat Hilton for her injuries.

As Brock was being escorted to a patrol car, Walters then tried to fight her, the incident report said.

Butler was arrested after she would not stop cursing and shouting, according to an incident report.

She too tried to fight another woman.

In addition to this large fight, two others involving students happened on Tuesday, according to the CCSO.

The juveniles were separated and transported to the CCSO where petitions to Family Court were completed and submitted to the Department of Juvenile Justice and released to their parents or guardians.

A total of five children were petitioned to family court for third-degree assault and battery.

Some members of the Manning High School community were shocked by this behavior.

“It sets a bad example for all the kids when they see their parents out there,” Robinson said.

Pearson said incidents like this do not reflect well on Clarendon County.

“There has to be some type of change for we can’t have that here in our school,” he said.

The Clarendon County School District sent WIS a statement on Wednesday regarding the incident.

It reads, “A physical altercation occurred at Manning High School on March 4, 2023, between two students. As protocol, parents were contacted. As parents were called to the school to pick up their students, an altercation between the parents ensued.

As with any student altercation, district policy was followed and the students have been disciplined for their role in the altercation.

Additionally, law enforcement is involved and an investigation has been conducted into the incident. Manning High School Administration handled the incident appropriately per district policy and the school returned to its normal schedule following the incident.

As always, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priority, and we do not tolerate any form of violence on our school grounds. We want to emphasize that this incident does not reflect the values of Manning High School or the Clarendon County School District as a whole. School administration takes all necessary steps to ensure appropriate disciplinary action is taken in any situation that disrupts the learning environment. We remain committed to creating a safe learning environment for all students.”

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