Sonoma Valley High School water fight erupts in campus unrest

Deputies were called in Friday to quell a disturbance at Sonoma Valley High School after a water balloon fight got out of hand, an administrator said.

The incident began in the campus parking lot about lunchtime between two groups of students totaling about 200 people, said Loyal Carlon, the district’s director of human resources.

Students were allowed to participate, but Principal Kathleen Hawing called it off after some people started slinging water buckets and, later, food, Carlon said.

“You throw a few balloons, and it’s OK,” Carlon said. “But kids kind of took advantage and it went south.”

The principal rang the bell and most students returned to classes. But a group of 50 to 100 students remained in the campus center, where they started chanting and throwing food, he said.

Deputies were called after one of the students began smoking marijuana, he said.

Someone pulled a fire alarm, emptying classes again, he said. When officials determined it was a false alarm, the disruptive students returned to class with the others, Carlon said.

Rick Taggesell, a student at the school, said via email that the balloon fight did not get out of hand, but that proceedings turned unruly after students were ordered to end their lunch break 25 minutes early and return to class.

No arrests were made and the campus was not locked down, Carlon said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.