WASHINGTON - A massive layoff of teachers and support staff at D.C. public schools triggered chaos outside of McKinley High School Friday afternoon.

The melee happened after school let out, as students and parents filled McKinley's parking. Many were upset about the layoffs of 388 school employees, including 229 teachers. 

"The students were emotional, you know, they were upset to see their teachers being escorted by the police officers, knowing that they did nothing," said Saymendy Lloyd, a parent activist. 

"Why do you choose to do it at the time the children are out there and you do not expect to have a reaction? When they look at their guidance counselor and teachers like family?" she asked.

At some point the interaction between a group of people -- mostly students and police -- turned violent.

Amateur video shot by McKinley student Kelvin Sherman shows one girl on the ground.

"And he just started swinging on her and throwing her up against the gate -- manhandling her, basically -- and spraying mace," Sherman recalled.

Fellow McKinley student Tamika DeBose found herself in the middle of the melee, with a police officer pulling her away from the crowd.

"I wake up and I get sprayed in the eye," she said, "and so I can't see and I'm in the middle of a big crowd and I'm like yelling to the top of my lungs, I'm like, 'I need help!'" 

Lloyd and a 17-year-old girl were arrested in the melee on disorderly conduct charges. 

Some students say the layoffs affect them personally.

"It's very dangerous for us and our family. A lot of teachers are going through all these cuts and I just feel as though that was very disrespectful," Tiffany Cofield, a McKinley student. 

Not all schools had the same violent reaction to the layoff notices. Things were quiet at Spingarn High School, where counselor Glenda Smith learned she'd be terminated after two decades with the system.

"It's a difficult day for both staff and students," she said. "At this school in particular and at all schools across the city, because great changes are taking place."

Spingarn parent Dana Terry says the layoffs have her concerned about "the quality of the education that the children will receive."

"Because," she said, "if you're short-staffed that means if you have more kids in the classroom and ratio won't be good for learning, or the environment. Like, right now, one of the schools is asking parents to come in and volunteer." 

The teachers union agrees and may now file a lawsuit, according to its president, George Parker.

"There's no way you can remove 266 teachers from the classroom and have it not impact the quality of education," he said. The discrepancy between his number of teacher layoffs, 266, and the school system's number, 229,

Police would not comment on the violence or the video other than to confirm officers made two arrests.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray released a statement Friday, pledging to hold hearings on the school system's layoffs.

A series of rallies in support of teachers is planned at McKinley and other schools as earlier as Monday, ABC 7 News has learned.

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