A student attacked two teachers at Auckland’s Epsom Girls Grammar School yesterday, the school has revealed in an email to parents.

The letter, sent by principal Lorraine Pound this morning, said a student “physically struck” two staff members at the school yesterday.

The incident occurred during a visit to the school by a US delegation headed by the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

Emhoff is in the country, representing President Joe Biden, in support of the US team playing in the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

He was at the school yesterday to speak before watching a panel discussion on gender equity and sport.

The US Embassy in New Zealand confirmed the assault took place while the delegation was at the school but they were not involved in any way.

Pound described the assault as a “distressing incident” and said she wanted to make sure parents had the correct information about what happened.

She said no students were “physically harmed” and staff and students were being supported.

The student involved was not at the school today and the matter was being dealt with, Pound said in the email.

“All students have received this information this morning and encouraged that if they need support at any time, to ask their teacher to release them to the Student Support area to talk with a Dean or Counsellor,” the email said.

Pound said the school was working in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.

The US Embassy in New Zealand posted about the delegation’s visit on Twitter saying Emhoff was “honoured” to witness and be part of the panel discussion at Epsom Girls Grammar School.

“Their outstanding dedication towards academic excellence, sports leadership, and cultural enrichment for young women is commendable,” the post on the Embassy’s Twitter page said.

The school has been contacted for comment.