Did Fight Over Cap And Gown Lead To Melee Between Parents At South LA Preschool?

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Instead of Pomp and Circumstance, the "Rocky" theme song should have been playing at a South LA preschool graduation where a battle over a cap and gown led to a melee between angry parents . . . and it was all caught on tape.

The graduation ceremony for 45 students at Weemes Elementary School took place on June 7, said Monica Carazo of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"This all started because my son's teacher was so unorganized. Basically because of budget issues all the kids had to share a cap and gown for pictures. One of the moms in the video was basically taking over and the other one didn't like it and told her something about it," an unidentified parent told EAG News.

The video, posted on YouTube on June 14, shows parents arguing among themselves while children are heard screaming.

"The sad part was that there was an older lady that got pushed and she actually hit her head on a bookshelf and I rushed to help her but when this other mom rush to help us the angry women actually attacked the other mom," the parent said.

One woman was reportedly injured with a cut to the lip, Carazo said. No charges were filed.

A letter from the school was sent to parents explaining the incident, officials said. Lynn D. Brown, the school's principal, wrote: "It is unfortunate that adults chose to resolve a conflict in this way in front of our youngest boys and girls."

Several witnesses told KCAL9 and CBS2 reporter Carter Evans that the fight was actually "over a man."

Said Tajashia Ford, "It was three on one. They beat the girl up real bad. Snatched her personal possessions off her. And I was like, 'Wow.'"

The parents Evans spoke to said they really didn't care what started the fight, but that it should never have happened in front of the kids -- period. Said one, "They're not setting no type of example for their kids. That's why a lot of these kids are the way they are today."