By JOSEPH FITZGERALD and

JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET —A dispute between two students erupted into a brawl in the corridors of Woonsocket High School Wednesday. When the melee ended, 14 students were charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

Police said the disturbance, which drew more than 200 students to the central Times Square area of the school's main corridor, began as Vice Principal Carnell Henderson attempted to break up a confrontation between two students wanting to fight.

The initial fight, breaking out as second block ended at 11:15 a.m., was said to have been sparked by a dispute between a boy and girl and escalated to involve two other students, police said.

As Henderson attempted to stop the initial fight, police said some of the students involved pulled at the vice-principal and in the process grabbed his tie, choking him.

Henderson was quickly assisted by Vice Principal Richard Benjamin, other administrators and School Resource officer Michael Cahill, but additional police officers were needed to disperse the large group and remove the combatants.

At least two separate fights were reported to have been sparked by the initial disturbance as students were moved from Times Square toward their classes and other areas of the school.

No serious injuries were reported although one female student was transported to Landmark Medical Center to be checked out, according to police.

In all 10 boys and four girls were reported to have been charged with disorderly conduct, assault, resisting arrest, or combinations of the offenses in connection with the melee.

A 15-year-old boy was charged with disorderly conduct as well as aggravated assault and possession of a weapon on school grounds police said. High School Principal Lourenco Garcia was listed as the victim of that assault, according to police.

Students at the high school were held in their classrooms for about 45 minutes after the incident while the disturbance was handled and the participants removed.

Police said the students charged with criminal violations, all juveniles, will be referred to either the Family Court or the city's juvenile hearing board depending upon any past history of problems. Some of the students involved were reported to have had prior behavior violations, police said.

The students charged by police were all suspended from school for 10 days and will be required to appear before the School Committee in the near future for disciplinary hearings, according to School Superintendent Maureen Macera.

Macera also voiced disappointment that the melee had marred what had otherwise been relatively calm year at the school thus far.

"This is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Macera said. "These are young men and women who need to behave in a civilized manner," she said of the students engaged in the fights. "We are not going to tolerate that and will do whatever we have to do to prevent it."

The incident was particularly disappointing, Macera said, given that most students at Woonsocket High School do follow school rules and focus on their school work.

"It started with one boy and one girl who had an issue with each other but there are other ways to resolve differences," she said. "You don't have to resort to this type of behavior.”

School Committee Chairman Marc A. Dubois also voiced concern over the disturbance Wednesday, saying it was fortunate no one had been seriously hurt.

Henderson, he said, had been choked to a degree when the other students jumping pulled on his tie, Dubois said.

"All of our administrators, officer Cahill and the responding members of the Police Department are to be commended for their efforts to quell the disturbance," Dubois said.

All the students involved will be appearing before the School Committee in addition to any other hearings they may face with the Family Court or juvenile board, and some might even face expulsion for the rest of the school year, he said.