Carson High School staff member accused of starting fights on campus

CARSON, Calif. - A series of brawls broke out at Carson High School, and parents say they were started by a staff member. 

There were two fights within two days and two students were taken away on stretchers… leaving parents outraged. 

What they're saying:

"He was attacked trying to help one of his friends," said parent Crystal Russell. Her son Jalen has a fractured face; his friends were beaten and bandaged as well. 

"Fifteen guys came up to me and say ‘did you break up the fight’ and I say ‘yeah I broke up the fight’. I'm being held by staff and felt someone punch me in side of my face," Jaln told FOX 11. 

Students say a staff member, who helps with security and football, started a divide on campus between Samoan and African American students, specifically the girls on the cheer squad.

Two of the girls say the staff member, who is Samoan, was trying to stop them from gambling on campus Tuesday, but things escalated quickly.

"He began to verbally attack the girls, calling them out of their names, and telling them he was going to have his daughter physically attack them. There have been racial wars that this man created," said Dejha, a parent. "It’s heart-wrenching, watching these videos of them harming each other and they don’t even know why."

"The daughter comes on golf cart, I see the daughter, the daughter sees me and then we just start fighting," said Zanye. 

It turned into a massive fight that reignited Wednesday…with two kids hospitalized.

"We were all in the office getting interrogated by police and staff, but all the Samoans are walking around school free," Jalen added. 

A teacher, who tried to stop the fight, was knocked to the ground. Parents say the staff member has been put on administrative leave.

Meanwhile, many parents pulled their kids out of school early and some for good.

The other side:

A Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson released a statement saying in part, "The health and safety of our students and our staff remains my top priority. I wanted to take the time to inform you of an incident that occurred when school staff intervened to break up a physical altercation between students. The Los Angeles School Police Department is investigating this incident.

In an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles School Police Department will be providing extra coverage during school hours.

We have notified the parents of the students involved and are investigating the incident further in accordance with Los Angeles Unified policy. We are providing counselors to students who may support or someone to talk to. Please reach out to us if your child needs assistance. This incident provides an opportunity to speak with your child about making positive choices and to remind them to tell an adult if they are experiencing issues with other students. We also encourage everyone to follow the District’s message: if you see something, say something."