A high school in Saint-Jérôme, Que., suspends 78 students following disruptions

MONTREAL – A high school about 40 kilometres north of Montreal has suspended 78 students after disruptions on school grounds on Friday.

The school board told The Canadian Press that the school in Saint-Jérôme, Que., was closed Monday as the administration worked to shed light on the event.

The school administration told parents in a letter Friday that these incidents happened after a call to action by students.

Classes resumed on Tuesday, but several parents said on social media that their children felt unsafe at the thought of returning to school.

The administration told parents in a subsequent letter about new security measures for Monday, including hiring security guards and increased police presence.

The school has more than 3,400 students and approximately 330 staff members.

Videos of the disruptions Friday show students crowding the halls, with some pushing through the group and others throwing a garbage can in the air.

On Monday, school staff reviewed video recordings to identify the students “who instigated or participated in Friday’s events,” Nadyne Brochu, spokesperson for the Rivière-du-Nord school board, said in an email. 

“The consequences for each student will be determined based on the severity of their actions,” Brochu wrote. 

“Parents will need to be involved in the process and work with the school staff,” she added. 

The school also said that it has adjusted the its staff’s schedules “to ensure maximum adult supervision.”

In a letter sent to parents on Monday, school director Nathalie Flamand said further disruption could lead to serious consequences.

“No gathering or behaviour that could compromise the safety or the proper functioning of the school will be tolerated,” she wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.

— With files from Mathieu Paquette and Frédéric Lacroix-Couture