BOISE, Idaho — A substitute teacher at Syringa Middle School was arrested after allegedly encouraging students to fight in his classroom while recording at least one of the incidents, the Caldwell Police Department (CPD) said.
CPD released additional information about the prior incident on Sunday, Feb. 5.
"CPD recently received information that on the same date of the original offense, Ettson Arreola along with three other Caldwell High students encouraged four additional Syringa students to go to the bathroom to fight. This took place when Arreola had been tasked to supervise an after-school sport on the school grounds. The Syringa students involved were interviewed and provided written statements."
The release added that the report will be given to the prosecutor's office.
During the original incident, police said Arreola "encouraged" the students to physically fight and set a timer for 10 seconds. Two male students fought and two female students fought in Arreola's classroom on Thursday, Jan. 26, according to Caldwell Police.
Resource officers with CPD saw a video recording from an electronic device on social media of one of the fights.
Caldwell Police said detectives interviewed school officials, parents and those involved in the fights Thursday night and into Friday morning before an arrest warrant was issued for Arreola.
While no students involved were injured, police believe Arreola encouraged the 10-second fights while setting a timer and recording the incidents.
Arreola is facing four counts of injury to a child, four counts of violation of juvenile corrections act, and one count of inciting a riot and encouraging a minor to fight.
Caldwell School District Superintendent, Dr. French, released the following statement in Friday's news release:
“The Caldwell School District has zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The personal safety and welfare of each child is of paramount concern to the District. The District has taken immediate steps to ensure the safety of all students. We are providing support for the students involved and are actively cooperating with law enforcement."
Caldwell Chief of Police Rex Ingram also made the following statement:
“Mr. Arreola’s actions tear at the fabric of our community and are reprehensible. The video(s) is appalling, disturbing and unimaginable. This man was entrusted by his community to keep our children safe and provide academic education but he chose to facilitate a fight club in his classroom."
Arreola is restricted from contacting any student in the Caldwell School District, including the students involved in the incidents, police said.
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