MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Cries for help can be heard on cellphone video from inside a Milwaukee Public School on Friday.
"I've called the police five times, they won't come," a staff member said in the video.
Chaos unfolded at Green Tree Preparatory Academy Friday afternoon on Milwaukee's northwest side. Milwaukee police confirmed they showed up to the school after several fights broke out and students were arrested.
An MPS employee, who wants to remain anonymous, reached out to reporter Jenna Rae to investigate what happened.
"This is the environment I've been working in for the past month," former Green Tree secretary Amaya Hambright said in a cellphone video taken Friday.
It looks like a free-for-all. Video shows Green Tree Prep students with their clothes off and some even running out of the school.
"It was a lot. I've never seen anything like that. There were students that were going up to the second floor. They were climbing out the windows, standing on top of the balcony," one parent explained.
TMJ4 talked to a parent who has students at Green Tree Prep. They didn't want to go on camera.
Watch: Staff and parents witness multiple fights break out at MPS school
The parent said she showed up to the school Friday after she was called and told kids were fighting.
"I didn't expect to walk into the school and there were actually multiple fights taking place," the parent said.
Hambright said she also witnessed what happened Friday. She said it was so troubling she walked off the job.
"A middle schooler was jumped and mauled by at least seven kids. He was in the corner like this, on his back, with his shirt over his head, getting jumped on," Hambright explained.
"You saw that?" Rae asked.
"Yes ma'am, with my own eyes," she responded. "About 10 fights broke out. It's been going on for about five to six minutes now, just continuous fights, fights, fights. It started to get so chaotic that the teachers and the safety lost control of the situation."
Hambright said at that point she felt so unsafe she called 911, despite other staff members, she said, telling her not to.
On Friday, Milwaukee police said they responded to a large fight at the school and arrested several students.
"Do you feel like your kids are safe at Green Tree Prep?" Rae asked the parent.
"No, I don't feel like anyone's kids are safe there," the parent responded.
A letter sent to parents Sunday night said the incident that happened Friday was "unacceptable." It also said "horseplay under any circumstances will not be tolerated."
"The school tried to water it down and say horseplay. This wasn't horseplay, this was kids being grabbed by their hair, being punched, being kicked, innocent kids being trampled," the parent said.
MPS wouldn't interview with us Tuesday but sent a statement that said the incident is under investigation and the safety of students and staff is the district's number one priority.
TMJ4 has requested surveillance video from the school and body camera footage from the MPD officers who responded.
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