I need to share with you a disturbing incident. I hope this is the correct forum.
On 1/16/2014, a threat was made, at school, that a student was going to bring a gun to school and kill my daughter. Here are the details.
On the morning of 1/16/2014 at approx. 10AM I received a call from my wife, a high school teacher in the same district as my 14 year old, 8th grade daughter, saying that she had received a text from my daughter saying to expect a call from her Principal because someone threatened to kill her.
I called the school immediately, identified myself and asked to speak to the principal and was put on hold, so I hung up and called back. When the receptionist answered I identified myself once again, told the receptionist someone had threatened to kill my daughter and wanted to speak with the principal. I was put on hold for only a second and the principal answered. I was told that, there had been a threat but that the principal was meeting with the student who made the threat, the mother of the student, the students caseworker and the school psychologist, and I would be called back as soon as the meeting was over. * At this point neither my wife or myself had been notified by anyone other than a text from my daughter* I waited for perhaps 10 minutes and tried to call my daughter. She texted back that she was in class and would call me as soon as her class was over.
Once we finally got to talk, I asked her what was going on. She said that the evening before she rec'd some texts from a boy she didn't know. They went along the lines of…" I like smoking, getting high and hanging with my gang. Do you like me?" She asked who this was and how he had got her number. He told her his name and said that he wouldn't say how he had found out how to contact her. She said no, she didn't like him and not to contact her anymore. He continued to text her and she blocked his number.
The next morning, she was approached by another student, a friend, who had been on the receiving end of a series of notes from the boy who called my daughter the previous night. He had said that she had said something that upset him and that he was going to bring a gun to school and kill her. My daughter and friend went to the principal and told what was going on. The principal had the trashcan retrieved, where the note had been thrown, and brought to the office. The note was found; my daughter and her friend were questioned and sent back to class. We are not sure at what point the boy was called in, why, we the parents, were not contacted immediately or why my daughter was sent back out to class.
About 1.5 to 2 hours after I initially called the principal, my call was returned. I was told that the student had been released to leave with his mother and that there was a history of problems with this student. He was on a "treatment plan" and I was either told or was lead to believe that he was on medication for behavioral problems. I was also told that he wasn't going to be allowed back until his treatment plan had been changed. I was told that I had to be told the students name and that if I chose to press charges, that was within my rights.
During the remainder of the school day, the other students were calling out my daughter's name saying "Look, he's at the window", they were pointing fingers in a gun-like fashion and one even got so creative as to sing "(boys name) gotta gun, (daughters name) better run"…sung to the tune of Aerosmiths "janies got a gun"song.
My daughter usually walks home (1/2 mile), but my wife picked her up that day. I found it disconcerting that there was no additional security or even awareness at dismissal. We have no idea about where this boy lives, if he has access to guns or what would prevent him from walking to the school and carrying out his threat.
After talking about the days events with my wife, it was decided to call the local police department. I was told that the police had not been notified. I told the police officer what had happened and filed a report. I was told that I could press terroristic threatening charges and that in the officers opinion, it may be a good idea to hold my daughter out of school the next day. I was called back by the officer after a little bit with a few more questions. He had reported it to his SGT. Who had reported the incident to the Chief, who asked for more info. We were told that the police would make an appearance at the school the next day. My wife and I also requested, via email a meeting with the superintendent and school principal.
My wife rec'd a call at about 9:10 the next morning saying that the meeting had to be at 10AM. I took off work (my wife had stayed home with my daughter) and we made it there by 10. At the meeting was my wife and myself, the principal, the district superintendent and the school resource officer (police officer).
We were told that the student making the threat would not be back in this school district this year, unless the court ordered it and what was our opinion about pressing charges. My wife and I decided that it may be the right thing to do since the attending officer said that it would assure a type of restraining order and the student couldn't be within a certain distance of my daughter (I don't remember the exact distance he said). Once we said that we would press charges, we were told "Good, we (the school) were going to anyway" and that there was nothing we needed to do. However, since my daughter wasn't threatened directly, rather through a note to someone else, that we couldn't be kept abreast of any details or in the loop in any fashion.
We decided that it would be in the best interest of my daughter to transfer her to another middle school in the same district. The principal understood but asked if there was anything else going on. At point my wife stated that several people, including teachers at that middle school, said that it wasn't a good spot for my daughter. There seems to be a problem with drugs and bullying that isn't present at the other middle school. The principal got argumentative at that point and rather confrontational demanding to know who had told my wife these things – repeatedly demanding. She insinuated that my wife and I were part of the problem if we wouldn't tell her who had told us these things about the school. I finally said that the meeting was over, as tempers flared, and the superintendent spoke up and we got back on track. We were told that the paperwork would be filled out that day, for the transfer, and that we could pick up my daughters belongings.
As we went to get her stuff, we spoke to some of her teachers. THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY KIND OF THREAT MADE IN THEIR BUILDING. I found that amazing. Also, there was never any notice sent to the parents. There have been numerous weather days since then and only 1 day of school. My daughter has made the transfer, but the principal at her new school had never been made aware of the circumstances regarding her transfer, until I told her (death threat involving another student and a gun).
It has been nearly 2 weeks since this occurred and still there has been no notification sent out to other parents.
I feel like there has been so many things done wrong and my daughter as well as other students were and possibly still are being placed in harms way. I'm not sure where to go from here. My wife is an employee in this district and any "rocking the boat" could be bad for her job. I don't feel that the administration can separate her as a parent and her as a teacher. I don't even know if charges were filed. The reason that I have my doubts is that this district has a way of getting unflattering news covered up and it never sees any publicity or public airing.
Any suggestions? Thank-you.
On 1/16/2014, a threat was made, at school, that a student was going to bring a gun to school and kill my daughter. Here are the details.
On the morning of 1/16/2014 at approx. 10AM I received a call from my wife, a high school teacher in the same district as my 14 year old, 8th grade daughter, saying that she had received a text from my daughter saying to expect a call from her Principal because someone threatened to kill her.
I called the school immediately, identified myself and asked to speak to the principal and was put on hold, so I hung up and called back. When the receptionist answered I identified myself once again, told the receptionist someone had threatened to kill my daughter and wanted to speak with the principal. I was put on hold for only a second and the principal answered. I was told that, there had been a threat but that the principal was meeting with the student who made the threat, the mother of the student, the students caseworker and the school psychologist, and I would be called back as soon as the meeting was over. * At this point neither my wife or myself had been notified by anyone other than a text from my daughter* I waited for perhaps 10 minutes and tried to call my daughter. She texted back that she was in class and would call me as soon as her class was over.
Once we finally got to talk, I asked her what was going on. She said that the evening before she rec'd some texts from a boy she didn't know. They went along the lines of…" I like smoking, getting high and hanging with my gang. Do you like me?" She asked who this was and how he had got her number. He told her his name and said that he wouldn't say how he had found out how to contact her. She said no, she didn't like him and not to contact her anymore. He continued to text her and she blocked his number.
The next morning, she was approached by another student, a friend, who had been on the receiving end of a series of notes from the boy who called my daughter the previous night. He had said that she had said something that upset him and that he was going to bring a gun to school and kill her. My daughter and friend went to the principal and told what was going on. The principal had the trashcan retrieved, where the note had been thrown, and brought to the office. The note was found; my daughter and her friend were questioned and sent back to class. We are not sure at what point the boy was called in, why, we the parents, were not contacted immediately or why my daughter was sent back out to class.
About 1.5 to 2 hours after I initially called the principal, my call was returned. I was told that the student had been released to leave with his mother and that there was a history of problems with this student. He was on a "treatment plan" and I was either told or was lead to believe that he was on medication for behavioral problems. I was also told that he wasn't going to be allowed back until his treatment plan had been changed. I was told that I had to be told the students name and that if I chose to press charges, that was within my rights.
During the remainder of the school day, the other students were calling out my daughter's name saying "Look, he's at the window", they were pointing fingers in a gun-like fashion and one even got so creative as to sing "(boys name) gotta gun, (daughters name) better run"…sung to the tune of Aerosmiths "janies got a gun"song.
My daughter usually walks home (1/2 mile), but my wife picked her up that day. I found it disconcerting that there was no additional security or even awareness at dismissal. We have no idea about where this boy lives, if he has access to guns or what would prevent him from walking to the school and carrying out his threat.
After talking about the days events with my wife, it was decided to call the local police department. I was told that the police had not been notified. I told the police officer what had happened and filed a report. I was told that I could press terroristic threatening charges and that in the officers opinion, it may be a good idea to hold my daughter out of school the next day. I was called back by the officer after a little bit with a few more questions. He had reported it to his SGT. Who had reported the incident to the Chief, who asked for more info. We were told that the police would make an appearance at the school the next day. My wife and I also requested, via email a meeting with the superintendent and school principal.
My wife rec'd a call at about 9:10 the next morning saying that the meeting had to be at 10AM. I took off work (my wife had stayed home with my daughter) and we made it there by 10. At the meeting was my wife and myself, the principal, the district superintendent and the school resource officer (police officer).
We were told that the student making the threat would not be back in this school district this year, unless the court ordered it and what was our opinion about pressing charges. My wife and I decided that it may be the right thing to do since the attending officer said that it would assure a type of restraining order and the student couldn't be within a certain distance of my daughter (I don't remember the exact distance he said). Once we said that we would press charges, we were told "Good, we (the school) were going to anyway" and that there was nothing we needed to do. However, since my daughter wasn't threatened directly, rather through a note to someone else, that we couldn't be kept abreast of any details or in the loop in any fashion.
We decided that it would be in the best interest of my daughter to transfer her to another middle school in the same district. The principal understood but asked if there was anything else going on. At point my wife stated that several people, including teachers at that middle school, said that it wasn't a good spot for my daughter. There seems to be a problem with drugs and bullying that isn't present at the other middle school. The principal got argumentative at that point and rather confrontational demanding to know who had told my wife these things – repeatedly demanding. She insinuated that my wife and I were part of the problem if we wouldn't tell her who had told us these things about the school. I finally said that the meeting was over, as tempers flared, and the superintendent spoke up and we got back on track. We were told that the paperwork would be filled out that day, for the transfer, and that we could pick up my daughters belongings.
As we went to get her stuff, we spoke to some of her teachers. THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY KIND OF THREAT MADE IN THEIR BUILDING. I found that amazing. Also, there was never any notice sent to the parents. There have been numerous weather days since then and only 1 day of school. My daughter has made the transfer, but the principal at her new school had never been made aware of the circumstances regarding her transfer, until I told her (death threat involving another student and a gun).
It has been nearly 2 weeks since this occurred and still there has been no notification sent out to other parents.
I feel like there has been so many things done wrong and my daughter as well as other students were and possibly still are being placed in harms way. I'm not sure where to go from here. My wife is an employee in this district and any "rocking the boat" could be bad for her job. I don't feel that the administration can separate her as a parent and her as a teacher. I don't even know if charges were filed. The reason that I have my doubts is that this district has a way of getting unflattering news covered up and it never sees any publicity or public airing.
Any suggestions? Thank-you.
