Mental health professionals were on hand as students returned to classes at Franklin High School Thursday, one day after the death of a student in a fall from a fourth-floor balcony at the Highland Park school.
The student, reported by multiple media outlets to be a boy, is believed to have fallen from the balcony and sustained fatal injuries at about 1 p.m. Wednesday. The student had not been officially identified as of Thursday morning.
Citing information from the school’s principal, Marine Davtyan, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman told City News Service that the medical emergency required the school to be placed on lockdown.
In an email to the school community Wednesday evening, Davtyan said she could not share additional information because of privacy and confidentiality laws, but additional mental health professionals will provide counseling and support for students on Thursday.
“We recognize that events such as this can affect students and staff in different ways. The well-being of our school community remains our top priority,” Davtyan said in a statement from an LAUSD spokesperson. ”We encourage families to check in with their children and remind them that it is OK to seek support when needed.”
Los Angeles police were continuing their investigation into the death.
Students told reporters at the scene that the student was involved in a brief fight inside a classroom prior to the fall. Video aired by KTLA5 showed two students in an altercation in the classroom, with a teacher standing between them trying to separate the pair.
One of the students throws a punch, knocking the other to the ground. That student then got up and scrambled out of the classroom, apparently falling or jumping over the balcony a short time later.