Seven Toll Gate students were suspended for five days following a fight that broke out during a change in classes Sept. 29 near school offices. The incident left a student with minor injuries and resulted in stepped-up police presence at the school.

William McCaffrey, assistant superintendent and director of secondary schools, said Monday that the seven students involved – six juveniles and one adult male – were charged with disorderly conduct. He said the cause of the “altercation” stemmed from social media posts from the previous Friday.

Maj. Andrew Sullivan reported Wednesday that Cameron Gendice, 18, of Warwick, the adult student, was arrested that morning at the school. He was charged with one count of disorderly conduct, processed at police headquarters and returned to school.

Sullivan said that two of the juveniles were involved in a fight at the school on Sept. 24. The school administration and school resource officer addressed that altercation.

“There were rumors that would be retaliation,” Sullivan said.

He said that based on cell phone video and surveillance camera footage, the two students confronted each other in the hallway and five other students became engaged.

“It was basically six on one at that point,” Sullivan said. It was at that time that school personnel and the resource officer separated the fighting students.

After reviewing the videos and identifying those students involved, police contacted their parents. None of the parents wished to press charges. At the School Department’s request, disorderly conduct charges were brought against all seven students.

“We have zero tolerance for any violence,” McCaffrey said adding that the district provides “safe and secure schools.” He praised the cooperation of Police Sgt. Matthew Moretti for stepping up police presence in the school. “The police have been great partners,” he said.

John Livsey, assistant Toll Gate Principal, said Tuesday that the situation at the school “seems to have settled down dramatically.” He believes prolonged months of distance learning contributed to student behavior.

“We don’t understand the toll it has taken on students,” he said.

Upon reviewing police responses to Toll Gate for 2019, the last full year students had in-person school, Sullivan said police responses at Toll Gate and other schools are not out of the ordinary with the exception of this incident.

He said the injured student received “minor injuries” and to his knowledge was not taken to a hospital.