" Furthermore, there were several students that witnessed the incident and one student who recorded the incident on their cell phone.
 " Bob Smudde LUHS district administrator
One female student was captured on video punching another female student in the face repeatedly just outside one of the bathrooms at Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) during school last Wednesday, May 17. The video was subsequently posted to Facebook for all to see.
After the attack, the girl who repeatedly punched the other girl in the face can be seen being greeted by four other students in the bathroom — one even giving her a high-five.
During the attack, the student filming can be heard encouraging the girl who was attacking the other one. The student who was filming also accused the girl being hit as a “racist.” 
Both the student filming and the one who was punching the other girl continued to call her expletive names until the end. The student filming put her camera as close to the girl’s face as possible after the attack, while she got up and ran away. 
Everyone involved appeared to be female students, with the girl who attacked the other girl appearing to be Native American and the girl being attacked appearing to be white.
In a statement shared with the Times Tuesday, district administrator Bob Smudde confirmed the attack was between two females in the women’s bathroom. He did not mention race playing any role in the situation. 
“Furthermore, there were several students that witnessed the incident and one student who recorded the incident on their cell phone,” he said in the statement. “The perpetrator and individuals involved in the physical altercation and video, will be disciplined in accordance with Lakeland Union High School Policy and Procedures.”
Smudde made it clear LUHS does not condone violence for any reason. He said the students who do engage in such acts “will not be welcome in our school building as our primary focus is keeping students and staff safe.”
“Though incidents like this are extremely rare, we believe we need to be and do better for our school community,” he said. 
The district’s administration, Smudde noted, have identified a number of factors that could have contributed to the violence that was video-taped. 
“First off there were a large number of substitute teachers in the building and several events going on throughout the school day,” he said. “There was more student movement than on a ‘regular’ school day, coupled with staff that did not know the students, aided in students being out of class when they should not have been. Furthermore, we have clearly seen through the evidence that cell phone usage is a major contributing factor in student to student communication creating this opportunity for physical aggression.”
As the district administrator, Smudde said he takes responsibility in creating a “better and safer environment” for all students and staff.
He added the district will be making changes in its policy and practices going forward because there is an “obligation to limit such behavior” as much as possible. 
“Again, we take safety of our school incredibly seriously, and that responsibility rests on our ability to control our school environment,” Smudde said. “Those who believe such behavior as physical violence was warranted are wrong, that is never the correct outcome. If such behavior occurs, students will be disciplined to the fullest extent of our ability.”
Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected]