Student leaders meet to achieve peace

Published 12:58 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

ISSAQUAH – Student leaders from Mount Si and Issaquah high schools met Tuesday to try to resolve any tension or ill feelings that resulted from an incident both sides say should’ve never happened.

“We want to rebuild the relationship,” said Mount Si Principal Dave Humphrey. “There hasn’t been anything negative between the schools in the past to this extent.”

The incident in question was a Jan. 14 fight involving as many as 70 students from Mount Si and Issaquah high schools. A group of students began taunting each other during a basketball game between the two schools on Friday, Jan. 10, at Mount Si. That taunting led to an arranged fight at the Costco parking lot in Issaquah on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

According to King County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Kevin Fagerstrom, that fight was canceled and moved to the Lake Tradition trail head in Issaquah where an Issaquah senior was beaten and five or six students were injured. The beaten student, Jason Kauweloa, required 100 stitches to close the wounds on his disfigured face.

Following the event both schools heightened security, sent letters to parents warning against further trouble and urged them to discuss the issue with their children.

With fear of possible retaliation still lingering on both campuses, the student leaders decided to meet not to discuss the incident, but rather to discuss solutions to bolster a positive relationship between the schools.

“It happened, now we need to find a way to get past it,” said Kate Heagle, Mount Si ASB vice president.

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