More than 100 brawl after talent show at Mt. Ida College in Newton; one man arrested

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

A brawl involving more than 100 people broke out after a talent show at Mount Ida College in Newton Thursday night. One man was arrested for assaulting an officer, city police said.

Police arrived at the Dedham Street school at 10:40 p.m. and found people fighting outside of Carlson Hall, said Officer Eric Rosenbaum.

Newton police requested assistance from State Police and the Boston, Brookline, and Waltham departments because of the large number of people fighting, Rosenbaum said. A State Police K-9 unit was also used to disperse the crowd.

The fight started after a talent show sponsored by the college’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, he said.

“It looks like it all stemmed from something that happened there,” Rosenbaum said.

One man was arrested for assault and battery on a police officer. He was identified as Randy Carius, 21, of Mattapan, Rosenbaum said.

Three other men were summonsed for disorderly conduct: an 18-year-old from Boston, a 21-year-old from Florida, and a 22-year-old from Connecticut, he said.

Police were unsure whether any of the four men were Mount Ida students, Rosenbaum said.

Officers used pepper spray on one person, but there were no real injuries, he said.

Police remained on scene throughout the night and into the morning hours.

In a statement, Mount Ida officials said the school is investigating the incident.

“We are working closely with local law enforcement and are taking immediate action, including suspending students who were involved, pending further disciplinary proceedings,” the administration said. “Mount Ida College has a zero-tolerance policy towards violence of any kind as the safety of our students is paramount.”