A racially charged fistfight at Amelia High School has prompted the school to call in counselors to ease tensions.

        Robert Harris, a program specialist with The National Conference on Community and Justice, said he'll meet this morning with students, parents and administrators.

        School officials asked the NCCJ to moderate student discussions and provide diversity training after five students, both black and white, were suspended because of a fight in the school parking lot Thursday. The school's investigation continues.

        Minority students make up less than 1 percent of the West Clermont School District high school's enrollment of 1,400.

        “It's done something most places have not done — I dare say even in Cincinnati we haven't done it — and that is to admit there's a problem,” Mr. Harris said of Amelia High School.

        “This is not an Amelia problem,” he said. “This is a world problem.”

        Meanwhile, school administrators have assured worried parents that their children are safe at school; but persistent rumors of violence have left some unnerved. Daily absences this time of year average 115, but on Tuesday, 160 students were absent. School officials say some parents are keeping their kids home.

        “I'd rather be safe than sorry about this because of all the other stuff that's been happening at other schools,“ said Carol Bryant, who picked up her freshman son early from school Tuesday. She planned to keep him home today.

        Her son, Curtis, thinks the incident has been blown out of proportion. “It was a cou ple of people fighting,” he said.

        Racial tensions began escalating two weeks ago with name-calling between groups of male students. When several white students displayed Confederate flags on their vehicles, school officials ordered all students not to bring any materials or symbols to school that might offend others.

        Several days later, someone “keyed” the truck of a white student.

        A number of students were suspended for two days, and one faces charges in Clermont County Juvenile Court.

        Over the weekend, some students received racially offensive e-mails.

        “We know this is an issue that is not easily solved,” said Principal Sarah Beam. ""We're not going to tolerate harassment.” School administrators spent much of Tuesday fielding calls from media and concerned parents. Some parents offered to assist in making all students feel welcome, a goal the school hopes to achieve with help from the NCCJ.

        Dave O'Toole, an assistant principal for 20 years, admitted the school was blindsided by the incidents. A photo on his bulletin board shows an African-American student who was named homecoming king in 1992. The school has engaged in successful exchanges with Cincinnati's Taft and Hughes Center schools, which have mostly black enrollment.

        “We haven't had anything like this happen before,” Mr. O'Toole said. “I think it was a wake-up call.“

        Many students are concerned that a few are tarnishing the school's image. “I've had several students say, "We hate this for our high school. We don't want people to think we're a bad place to be, because we're not,” Mrs. Beam said.

        As a precaution, Clermont County sheriff's officers have sat in the parking lot in the morning and at dismissal. Police presence in schools is a divisive issue for parents, said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg.

        “Parents are in dispute about this,” he said. “Some say we want more police; some say they want less, it looks like an armed camp. So you have to look at it as a case-by-case basis.”

        Despite the tension, school continues uninterrupted.

        “If we didn't think this is a safe place for kids, we wouldn't be in session,” Mrs. Beam said.

       Tom O'Neill contributed to this report.

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