Editor's note: The following article and video may be disturbing to some readers.
ORILLIA - Students say frightening, violent physical altercations have been happening regularly at Orillia Secondary School (OSS) this year.
Multiple videos obtained by OrilliaMatters, which have been muted due to profanity and racial slurs, show students engaging in physical altercations in a school bathroom, the front foyer, and at the Westmount Drive Tim Hortons location.
Chris Hutton, a Grade 12 student at OSS, has witnessed two brawls at school this year.
"A lot of the time, it's been recognized by both students and staff that it's a lot of Grade 9s getting into fights," they said. "There was one fight where a student lost a couple of teeth."
Hutton says the altercations seemingly happen over "petty" disagreements.
Hutton says school staff "aren't properly dealing" with the incidents, which prompts other fights.
"When people bring forward their concerns, they don't really do anything to minimize it," they said. "At best, they will bring the two groups into the office, and if anything, it makes the altercations worse."
While Hutton says school staff don't always know about potentially violent situations until "it's too late," they feel school officials need to be more effective in preventing them.
"There needs to be more disciplinary measures other than just suspensions," they said. "It doesn't really teach them a lesson and for a lot of kids it's just a break."
Hutton says it's usually the same "groups" and "types" of students involved in altercations.
"Personally, I don't worry about my safety too much," they said. "But I know some of my peers do."
Hutton's concern is that the school will earn a bad reputation.
"I'm more worried that we are going to be seen as a sketchy school," they said.
Hutton says two fights in the school's smoking section this year were instigated by students from other schools.
"They came on school property to attack someone," they said. "That person was banned from being on school property, but continued to show up. There was another fight where someone from our school went all the way to Patrick Fogarty (Catholic Secondary School)."
A Grade 11 student at OSS, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear for her safety, says she's witnessed more fighting at school this year than ever before.
"There have been more fights in the last semester than there was last year," she said. "I’ve noticed a big difference in the amount of fighting since (the former principal) retired."
The anonymous student says it's usually Grade 9 and 10 students involved in the fighting, and it's typically over "random unnecessary drama."
"It’s scary going to school knowing that anyone could get in a fight at any moment for no reason," she said.
She also says the school isn't doing enough to prevent fighting.
"They should take action to prevent fights by properly punishing people by suspending for a long period of time instead of an in-school suspension, warning or call home," she said.
Orillia OPP Const. Brett Boniface says he can't confirm if specific incidents of violence at OSS have been reported to police. He notes, however, there are no longer school resource officers in Orillia schools.
School resource officers and police-led programming like the OPP KIDS program were cancelled by both the public and Catholic school boards in the fall of 2022.
That decision does not sit well with some local politicians. In November 2023, Simcoe County councillors said they believe school resource officers should be allowed to walk the halls of area schools.
Members of county council voted unanimously to send a letter of support to the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio after being presented with a resolution by that local council for what they believe is a “valuable service to continue within the school community.”
It’s positive for children to see police officers as friendly people they can get to know and trust, said Severn Township Deputy Mayor Judith Cox at the November 2023 meeting.
“We don’t have community policing officers like we used to and that was always a good feeling in the town and in the school for the children,” she said. “I definitely think we should all be telling the school board that.”
Orillia OPP officials would not comment on the policing-in-school issue, but noted officers respond to calls for service at local schools.
"Police respond to calls for service when incidents are reported and investigate them in their entirety," Boniface said. "If the victim or school reports the incident, Orillia OPP will complete a fulsome investigation."
Boniface says Orillia OPP continues to "work with community partners to bring awareness on a variety of issues in the community" through crime prevention and awareness.
"While every incident is different, any physical altercation can pose a significant risk physically and mentally," he added, noting that anyone involved in a physical altercation can be charged.
Anyone who witnesses a crime is asked to report it to police or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Orillia Secondary School principal Brae Montgomery declined to comment for this article and instead directed OrilliaMatters to the Simcoe Country District School Board communications department, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment via email and phone over the last several days.
Jodi Lloyd, the Simcoe County District School Board trustee for the Orillia area and chair of the board, said she can't comment on specific issues that pertain to individual students. She, too, declined to provide comment for this article.
— With files from Nikki Cole