19 Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Students Suspended

19 students from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris, were suspended recently after an incident in the bus loop.

School officials claim it was a “disruptive and potentially dangerous” incident, while parents say the group was trying to stand up for another student with autism.

Here’s the letter sent to families, dated Feb. 7, from MSAD 17 Superintendent Heather Manchester:

This week, 19 OHCHS students were suspended for coming together as a disruptive and potentially dangerous group to respond to a rumored incident of violence in the bus loop. As school leaders entrusted with the safety of the sons and daughters of the Oxford Hills, we cannot tolerate acts of student bullying or physical retribution in our schools, no matter the intent. This is disturbing news, and we expect scrutiny when we have to make difficult decisions to protect our schools. State law and privacy rights limit what I can share with you, but school administrators have reviewed school surveillance video, talked with the alleged assailant and the supposed victim and his family, and completed an investigation. The work by Principal Bickford and his administrative team confirms that there was no intended violence, bullying, or actual physical harm involving the bus line interaction that has been the subject of rumor this week. A trusted adult is always the right person to lead a school’s response to concerns involving student violence and safety. In meeting this responsibility, school leaders cannot conduct due diligence, provide fair treatment, and protect student privacy while keeping pace with the rush of innuendo and misinformation. This is one of the many reasons that we have made trust a strategic priority in the Oxford Hills School District. Our data suggests nearly 90% of students have an adult they can count on in school; the events of this week make it clear we still have further to go. This weekend, I have launched a review to better understand why students were compelled to organize as a group to respond to a rumored incident of violence when there should have been a reliance on trusted adults and school practices to address the concern.

WATCH: Nineteen Oxford Hills High School students have been suspended after school leaders said they confronted another student over what officials later determined was a rumored incident at the bus loop.

STORY: https://t.co/v4jt6F3ppO pic.twitter.com/qjf3nCeBMk

— CBS 13 News (@WGME) February 12, 2026