Kentucky lawmaker in critical condition after fight in high school cafeteria

April 16, 2011

One of Kentucky's newest state lawmakers, who also serves as a high school teacher, sustained a critical head injury Tuesday morning while intervening to break up a fight between two students in the school's cafeteria.

State Representative DeWayne Bunch, 49, was listed in "extremely critical" condition when he was taken to the Baptist Regional Medical Center in , immediately following the fight between two male teens.

Bunch was reported as being unconscious and bleeding from the ears when emergency responders arrived at Whitley County High School.

The fight, between a fifteen- and sixteen-year-old, was caught by a surveillance camera which showed Bunch being punched by the sixteen-year-old, according to the sheriff. It is not clear what started the fight, which took place in the school's cafeteria during breakfast.

The teens have been charged with one count of first-degree and two counts of third-degree assault. They are both in custody at a juvenile detention center according to the sheriff.

Bunch was later transported to Medical Center in. His family has requested no information be publicly released about his condition.