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Fight between parents breaks out at AR elementary school graduation, reports say

Video captures the moment a fight broke out between adults at an Arkansas elementary school graduation.
Video captures the moment a fight broke out between adults at an Arkansas elementary school graduation. Screengrab from video shared by News Nation.

Authorities in Arkansas are investigating after a video posted on social media showed a fight between parents at an elementary school graduation, news outlets report.

The video showed the moment several adults got into a physical altercation at Faulk Elementary School in West Memphis, WMC reported.

It happened May 28 as parents and families were at the school for a kindergarten graduation, according to WHBQ.

The video, shared by News Nation, shows adults standing in a hallway when several men and women begin fighting. Children were also present and can be heard screaming and yelling “stop,” according to the outlet.

Video shows adults fight in a hallway at an Arkansas elementary school during a class graduation.
Video shows adults fight in a hallway at an Arkansas elementary school during a class graduation. Screengrab from video shared by News Nation.

West Memphis School District Superintendent Eric Foister said in a Facebook post that the district is “aware of an incident involving parents that occurred today at Faulk Elementary School.”

“The safety and security of our students, staff, and school campuses remain our top priority. We have zero tolerance for any behavior—by parents, students, staff, or visitors—that disrupts the learning environment or threatens the wellbeing of anyone on school grounds,” Foister said.

Foister told WHBQ the district has its own cameras and has additional video showing the fight. He said the names of those involved have been handed over to law enforcement and authorities are investigating.

“You come into our buildings and you put the safety and well-being of our students and staff in jeopardy? I’m going to hold you to the fullest accountability I can working with our local law enforcement. I’m going to press any and all charges that I can,” he told the news outlet.

Foister said in the Facebook post that these type of actions are “unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

When this happens, it sends a message to kids “that they can do the same thing and it’s a bad influence and they are not handling themselves as an adult,” Eric Thompson, a West Memphis resident, told News Nation.

West Memphis is about a 10-mile drive west from Memphis, Tennessee.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Fight between parents breaks out at AR elementary school graduation, reports say."

Jennifer Rodriguez
mcclatchy-newsroom
Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.
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