Official injured breaking up fight at Florence Twp Memorial H.S.

FLORENCE TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- The head of security at Florence Township Memorial High School had to be taken to the hospital on Monday after a 17-year-old student allegedly charged him after he broke up a fight in which she was involved.

Florence Township Police Captain Brian Boldizar described the incident in the school's cafeteria that left the school security director with two broken ribs.

Captain Boldizar said, "It was enough force to cause him to fall to the ground."

62-year-old Lonney Brown, a retired Florence Township police detective, was breaking up a fight between two girls. While walking one of them to his office he was allegedly charged by the other teen, who drove him into a wall.

Captain Boldizar explains, "The fact that something like this would occur in the school is unbelievable. That students would take it upon themselves to go after a school official like that and cause the injuries that they did to him is unacceptable."

In a Facebook post responding to dozens of get well wishes, Brown wrote: "Just really sore. Headed back to the Dr. Got blindsided. Felt like I got hit by a NFL linebacker."

Florence resident Wanda Morton says, "I sent his wife a text concerning, saying I'm glad he's doing better and I'm sorry for what happened."

And resident Jean Petty tells us, "It upsets me because the way the schools are now with the kids. They fight and carry on. And poor Lonney, I know him so well and he got hurt."

Police have charged the two girls involved - one 17, the other 15 - with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.

Ellen Hairston of Florence says, "She needs to keep her hands to herself. To me that's what's wrong with the school system now. Kids that want to go to school and get an education, they can't do it because you have kids that want to be thugs and gangsters."

The school district would not confirm reports that one or both of the girls was expelled, and released a brief statement that says in part:

"The Florence school district remains committed to providing a safe environment for its students, faculty and staff."

Captain Boldizar says, "Students have to know that the school officials are there for them, to help them and protect them. They cannot turn their aggression towards the school officials."

The 17-year-old student remains in a county juvenile detention center, and the 15-year-old has been released to her parents.

Detectives are going over surveillance video from the cafeteria, but they're asking any students who might have cell phone video of what happened to please contact them.