A video of a gun at school — and the hunt for that weapon — has academics hitting the alarm.
The Southbridge Education Association is alleging “monumental failures” by the district management in dealing with the report of a scholar who had a firearm on the center/highschool campus in March.
“To date, there has not been a full accounting of the events that led to an arrest and left our students and school staff exposed to a serious threat for several hours,” the union wrote. “There also has been no effort to assess how to better handle situations that threaten the lives of our students and staff.”
The incident in query occurred on March 13 when a scholar posted a video in a Southbridge Middle/High School toilet with a gun, in accordance with the union’s account.
Superintendent Jeffrey Villar — who was appointed by the state to supervise the district after it went into receivership — and college directors had been notified of the video by involved dad and mom.
From there, the union mentioned, the officers didn’t name a lockdown, shelter-in-place, or go restrictions and known as within the scholar to be searched. Due to the dealing with, the union alleges, the scholar was in a position to go off the gun and have one other scholar drive it off campus.
During the search, workers had been additionally despatched to seek out the second scholar allegedly in possession of the gun with out being informed the teenager could also be armed, the union mentioned, placing them in “unconscionable risk.”
The union mentioned that directors failed to offer a “full and accurate version of the events” to households and claimed there was no credible risk — possible referring to a message despatched to oldsters on the day after 4 p.m. which notifies dad and mom of the video and reads, “Working with close collaboration with the Southbridge Police Department, we were able to determine that there was no threat to the school.”
According to the district and police, the scholar was arrested and disciplinary motion was taken.
In a joint response to the union, Villar and Police Chief Shane Woodson expressed a dedication to protecting children protected and pushed in opposition to the union’s messaging, sharing communications despatched to oldsters after the incident.
“Much of the information that the Southbridge Education Association has shared is inaccurate,” the response reads. “We continue to look into the allegations raised on March 13 and will continue communicating information as we learn it.”
The Massachusetts Teachers Association issued a press release in assist of the union, echoing their claims the incident highlights how receivership is a “policy failure” and arguing Villar is “unfit to lead the district.”
The SEA mentioned they’re “demanding” the creation of security protocols and that Villar and the highschool principal be “held accountable.”
“Without such actions, nobody can or should feel completely safe attending or working in Southbridge Public Schools,” the union mentioned.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”