Students are being quizzed on their involvement in an alleged fight club at an Auckland school but the culprits haven't been found yet.
Videos released on YouTube showed St Paul's College, Ponsonby, students kicking and punching each other in what appeared to be organised scraps known as "fight
clubs".
It was believed the fights were filmed on cellphones.
St Paul's board of trustees spokesman Brother Richard Dunleavy told the Herald yesterday a special assembly had been held to discuss the alleged fight club.
"They brought in some heavies ... some members of the board, the chairman of the board and a parish priest to speak to the students," he said.
Some students had already been interviewed but no action had been taken.
"No one is guilty until they're judged."
Students face suspension or even expulsion if they are found to be involved in the fight club.
St Paul's has engaged independent investigator Peter Goddard, a former principal of Orewa College, to find out more about the fights and interview students.
His report is unlikely to be ready for several days.
Brother Richard said there had been limited reaction from parents since news of the footage broke.
"It's a bit soon to see any reaction. One group of parents was really disappointed."
He thought the fights looked staged, and some were filmed last year because the students were wearing an old uniform.
A special meeting will be held tonight at the school for concerned parents to ask questions about the investigation.
Peter Gall, president of the Secondary Principals Association, said there wouldn't be a school in New Zealand that could say it hadn't experienced a similar incident.
"Schoolyard scraps have happened since school began, but I wouldn't say playground violence is any worse than it has ever been."
But violence still wasn't condoned by schools, who were taking the issue seriously, Mr Gall said.
New technology, such as cellphones that could take video, were what was different in schools now.
"The whole thing is around new technology.
"There's a big issue there ... there's a call for them to be banned but that's not my attitude."
Instead, he said, there has to be a robust debate with young people about new technology.
