Western Bureau:

Fist reportedly flew with impunity at a popular Montego Bay high school last Friday as the principal and a teacher reportedly traded blows in the schoolyard, in full view of students and teachers.

"It is one of the most disgraceful things I have ever seen in my more than 30 years as a teacher," a staff member told The Star. "I believe my principal has lost all moral authority to discipline any students in the future for fighting."

Reports are that the principal used a derogatory term to describe the teacher, and a heated argument reportedly started as the teacher rebuked the principal, also using derogatory term.

bare-chested

"He (the principal) got vexed and walked up into the teacher's face and they began pushing each other," a student, who witnessed the fight, told The Star. "When me look at dem start fighting". I would say the principal win the fight."

As the men threw blows, buttons reportedly went flying, leaving both men bare-chested as screams of, "whooie - whooi" - whooi" erupted from the students, who had encircled them.

When some teachers finally managed to separate them, the principal reportedly ran towards his car shouting, "look how me a go dun him today."

While the teacher was forcefully dragged into the staffroom by some of his co-workers, the principal reportedly ran into his office and re-emerged shortly after with a piece of iron pipe.

"He (the principal) went over to the staffroom and was trying to kick off the door to get inside," another teacher said. "At that point, somebody called the police."

When the police arrived, they reportedly searched both men and then took them off the compound. It is uncertain as to whether charges were laid against them.

"The Ministry of Education needs to come here and investigate what happened," a senior member of the staff told The Star. "We are already having disciplinary challenges and this kind of behavior cannot help in promoting discipline."

The police confirmed that an incident took place at the school between the principal and a teacher but gave no further details.