School district: Social media fueled fights, hindered probe

Officials at a Bergen County school district say that social media posts fueled fights between two high schoolers and then helped spread "misinformation and falsehoods" that impeded the investigation.
The Record reports that a 14-year-old student at Ridgewood High School has been charged with aggravated assault and simple assault. A 16-year-old is charged with simple assault.
Ridgewood Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Fishbein released a statement Tuesday saying the students fought on school property but outside of school hours on Oct. 27 and 28. 
The fights were videotaped by another student and supposedly posted on Snapchat.
One of the students was injured and had to be hospitalized. Unconfirmed reports posted by Ridgewood residents on social media stated that the student had a fractured skull.
Parents tell News 12 New Jersey that the fights stemmed from one of the students trying to stand up for a female student who was being bullied.
School officials would not say if the fights were related to bullying in anyway.
Fishbein says the district tries to dispel online rumors, but was primarily focused on conducting a thorough investigation of the fights. He declined to say what discipline the school would impose, citing privacy rules.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.