Hunt Valley, Md. (WBFF) — Did Baltimore County Public Schools officials do enough to prevent a bus stop fight in Towson that led to five students being charged with assault?
One former Baltimore City principal says no, and she believes school leaders should be held accountable.
“In your opinion, do you think the leadership at Dumbarton Middle School failed?” Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst asked Angel Lewis, who has spent nearly 25 years in public education.
“In this instance, yes,” Lewis answered. “Now, parents are having to deal with issues that could have otherwise been avoided.”
ALSO READ | ‘Furious’ mother of alleged victim emailed principal days before Towson bus stop fight
What could have been avoided, according to Lewis, was an April 20 fight, recorded at a bus stop on York Road in Towson. The video, first posted online by the law firm Turnbull Brockmeyer, went viral – where a group of students from Dumbarton can be seen attacking another student. Five students have been charged with second-degree assault.
Fox45 News has obtained multiple emails from multiple parents, alerting Dumbarton Assistant Principal Amy Beale and Principal Amanda Shanks, of serious threats to student safety (WBFF)
“It’s very disheartening to see that students are now charged,” Lewis remarked.
Since the brawl, FOX45 News has obtained multiple emails from multiple parents, alerting Dumbarton Assistant Principal Amy Beale and Principal Amanda Shanks, of serious threats to student safety. And these emails, Lewis believes, should have led school officials to take immediate and swift action to protect students.
“Academics can’t be addressed until safety is first addressed,” said Lewis. “I will say, as a former principal, that is the first priority.”
“This was not out of nowhere,” said Patrick Miller, whose child attends Dumbarton. “This was something that escalated over time.”
Starting in November 2025, Miller, began writing school officials about the violence. He says his daughter rides the same bus as the students in the bus stop fight. Miller even sent school leaders a fight video recorded on the bus in the fall.
Angel Lewis has spent nearly 25 years in public education, including as a principal in Baltimore City (WBFF)
Months ago, Miller wrote an email to school officials, “This bus must be brought under control before someone is seriously injured.”
“Those are very, very strong words that should not be taken lightly,” stated Lewis.
Project Baltimore also obtained emails from the mother of the alleged victim of the bus stop attack. FOX45 News is concealing her identity. One email was sent by the mother days before the April 20th fight where she considers filing a “police report” after she says her daughter was confronted and threatened by a group of students in a bathroom. The same students, we’re told, that attacked her daughter at the bus stop.
Lewis says had she received these emails as a principal; her first call would have been to police – in case the violence spilled into the community.
“Your first operation should be to report it,” said Lewis. “Then the local police department are obligated to step in, and it becomes a different matter. And this is exactly what happened in this case.”
ALSO READ | ‘Leadership failed’: Emails show Maryland school aware of violence before bus stop fight
Lewis’ next call, she says, would have been to her district supervisor to try to resolve the violence before it escalates.
Project Baltimore emailed BPCS asking, “Did Dumbarton administrators inform police and district supervisors prior to the April 20 fight, that parents were concerned that student safety was at risk?”
Baltimore County Public Schools statement to Project Baltimore (WBFF)
Project Baltimore received a reply which did not directly answer the question. BCPS explained it, “works closely with the Baltimore County Police Department.” Adding, “While this incident occurred in the community, Dumbarton MS administrators took action in alignment with system policy and reinforced expectations for all students and families.”
But if Dumbarton administrators followed district policy and it didn’t prevent the violence, did the policy fail? And should it be revisited?
“There isn’t an assumption of no responsibility here for both the administrators, the school and the district,” said Lewis. “There’s not a way to relieve them of duties in this matter.”
As far as the fight itself, even though it happened at a bus stop and not on school property, Lewis says school administrators could still be responsible. Because according to the emails obtained by Project Baltimore, it appears the violence initiated in the school and on the school bus, which the students continued to ride.
Follow Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst on X and Facebook. Send news tips to cjpapst@sbgtv.com
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