Fighting and profanity led to the arrest of 10 students at Natchez High School before 8:30 a.m Tuesday.

The arrests involved three unrelated disturbances. The Natchez Police Department, after responding to a report of a large fight at 8:05 a.m., arrested eight students, ages 15 to 18, for allegedly fighting on campus. The fight took place outside, but school staff and security guards had broken up the fight by the time police arrived, said Natchez Police Chief Willie Huff.

The reason for the fight is uncertain, but four of the students involved had an argument Monday while sitting on buses parked near each other, said NHS Principal Brenda Williams.

&uot;There were multiple students involved in the fight,&uot; Williams said. &uot;And while bringing them to the office it started up again.&uot;

No one was injured and the students did not use any weapons. The students allegedly involved in the fight were charged with disturbing the peace by fighting.

Huff said he does not think the fight is gang-related, but that will be part of the investigation.

At about the same time as the fight, a 15-year-old student was arrested for allegedly assaulting ninth-grade Principal Bobby Brown at a classroom door. &uot;He was trying to leave the classroom and I said no,&uot; Brown said.

The student pushed him slightly while trying to get out the door, Brown said. The student is charged with simple assault on a teacher, a felony.

&uot;It could have been serious. The principal could have been injured,&uot; Huff said. &uot;We are seriously not going to put up with anybody assaulting a school teacher or principal.&uot;

A 16-year-old girl was also arrested Tuesday on charges of simple assault and disturbing the peace. The student allegedly pushed a teacher who confronted her for bringing a paper drinking cup on school grounds. She also used profanity, said Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis. District officials are taking a no-tolerance stand on profanity, Davis said. An 11-year-old was arrested on similar charges last week.

The school agreed to press charges on these students because of its strict policy on handling disturbances.

&uot;Our goal is to create and maintain a safe and orderly environment where academics is a priority,&uot; Williams said.

Two of the students charged with fighting are 18-year-olds, Chavis Dent and Travis Luster. They were released Tuesday on $334 bonds and face proceedings in city court.

The remaining eight students were released to their parents, Huff said. Their names can not be released because they are juveniles. They will be processed through Youth Court. They will also be suspended from school and will face hearings on their individual charges, Davis said.