A letter has been sent home with Lowther South Intermediate School students to explain the school’s investigation into an allegation that a student had threatened another student that he would bring a gun to school to do her harm.
An LSIS parent, Tenisha Baylor, had spoken to the Emporia board of education during the public comment session at the board’s meeting on Wednesday.
Baylor said that the threat to her daughter was a Level 4 violation of school policy, and that the boy had made the threat twice. She said she was concerned about the safety of her daughter and other students.
Board president Mike Crouch told Baylor that the board was aware of the allegations but was unable to speak publicly about it. Superintendent John Heim said after the meeting that the incident had been investigated and did not happen.
In the letter to parents, dated May 13, 2010, Principal Jessica Griffin stated:
“I want to provide some information to you in response to comments being made in the community about threats made by a student at our school and an allegation that a gun was brought to school.
“The safety of your children is one of the top priorities of all staff at Lowther South Intermediate School. We take very seriously any reports of threats, violence or bullying and investigate them thoroughly. When we have evidence that a threat of violence or act of violence has occurred, we carry out the appropriate discipline according to our policies outlined in the student handbook.
“I cannot provide you with information about specific students, but I can tell you that we have conducted an extensive investigation of recent reports of threats being made by a student. We have involved the Emporia Police Department in our investigation. Officers concur with our position that there is no evidence that actual threats were made or that a weapon was brought to school.
“Please be assured that we constantly monitor the behavior of our students in the classroom, hallways and on the playground. We will continue to be diligent in keeping our school and safe environment for your children.”
Emporia police did not confirm whether they had been involved in the investigation and, if so, what their findings were.
At the Wednesday school board meeting, president Mike Crouch said that although the board could not discuss the matter with Baylor, members were aware of the situation. He recommended she talk with the principal and, if necessary, the superintendent. She told him she had tried both options numerous times without an acceptable solution.
After Baylor spoke at Wednesday’s board meeting, a small group of parents gathered in the hall at Mary Herbert School to talk about their concerns.
Members of the group said the first threat came in April.
“He said he was going to bring a gun to school and go after another girl,” said Miranda Kelley, one of the parents.
Later, school leaders called in the boy and at least two of the girls.
“They bring the boy in and set him right down between them,” Kelley said.
The boy was absent from school several days, and resumed harassment when he returned, Kelley said.
“... (T)he boy was everywhere, glaring at them, giving them dirty looks,” she said; “... He looked at our children, pointed at them.”
“My daughter called me, hiding in another school room,” Baylor said. “... When the boy was back in school, threatening my daughter, I blew up.”
Baylor had said during the school board meeting that adults had been assigned to follow the boy alleged to have made the threat; however, someone had not been with him all of the time.
Baylor asked that adults be assigned to accompany her daughter for protection.
The parents said that administration efforts to keep the youngsters separated to avoid further contact had been unsuccessful.
Kelley said that the parents of the girls had not been satisfied with the way the allegations had been handled, and said that she believes administrators think the girls are lying.
“She keeps asking why these kids are scared, like they had no reason to be afraid,” Kelley said.
Kelley’s daughter has been excused from class for the remainder of the school year.
“It was easier to excuse our students, to silence us,” Kelley said.
Kelley questioned why the Social and Rehabilitation Services had not been called in as part of the investigation and why all LSIS parents had not been notified about the incident.
Two other parents present at the meeting said that their children were friends of the girls involved. Those parents said they were uneasy about their own children’s safety being near the girls.
Baylor said that she had an option of taking her child to another school in the county to complete the year, but she intended to have her finish the year at Lowther.
“My daughter worked hard,” Baylor said. “She’s a straight A student.”
koro (anonymous) says...
Ummm - Yes, EPD was involved in the investigation, and parents were notified.
May 18, 2010 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
supernanny (anonymous) says...
There are a few things in the article that are mixed up a bit...but yes pretty much summed it up.
May 18, 2010 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
supernanny (anonymous) says...
actually after reading the article again I have sent a email to the Gazette...there is quite a bit in here that is not correct. Thank you
May 18, 2010 at 11:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
supernanny (anonymous) says...
Thanks Bobbi for your promp response...
May 18, 2010 at 12:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Landa (anonymous) says...
if the boy is the problem, the boy should be removed. Why should innocent kids suffer because one kids is emotionally disturbed? does this kid have mental health services?
May 18, 2010 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
titan (anonymous) says...
GO EMPORIA! go figure they would try to hide the fact that this is happening. my child was at that school last year and it was the most horrible school year ever had! It has indeed been somewhat better this year although I have been in the administration offices alot this year. The 5th grade administration informed us last year that there were gangs present in the school and there was nothing that they could do to stop it. And their version of monitoring the students is 3-4 teachers standing in a group in the hallway visiting this is why they never know of the bullying and fighting that happen in the restrooms or other hallways. They also informed me last year that the class of students they had was just 'rough", so I am wondering if they are saying the same things this year? I fully believe the staff need to buck up and start doing their jobs that they are being paid for. It is ridiculous that these good students are being punished for something that one student is doing this is not in any way fair and it really seems like there is something we as parents can do. It should not come to the point where we as parents have to go to school and sit all day with our kids to make sure they are safe and still recieve their deserved education...
May 18, 2010 at 12:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
koro (anonymous) says...
Who said it was the boy who is the problem? There is not suffient evidence that proves that any of this took place. No witnesses, either. Just one little girl and her friend. Even criminals are innocent until proven guilty. Let's wait and see if this young boy is guilty before losing our minds.
May 18, 2010 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
2sides2everystory (anonymous) says...
It is a shame that everyone is quick to criticize and point fingers at the administration and teachers when all the facts are not stated. The district has a responsibility, for ALL the students involved, to protect them and their identity. It is nice to know that Mrs. Griffin and her staff have taken the high road to make sure this responsibility is met. What is unfortunate is that some people will not let it go and want to end the school year on such a negative note.
May 18, 2010 at 2:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
threecs (anonymous) says...
By middle school age, bullying is very sophisticated. Those who are getting their kicks by hurting others are getting very good at it by then. And there are multiple bullying incidents as everyone gives it a try. By high school, there are just a few who keep bullying as their preferred power play but they have developed it to a high art form with those added years of experience.
My point is, unless we are talking about pre-schoolers or early grade schoolers, it is completely unrealistic to expect change by adding more adult supervision or more discipline measures. The only effective action is to train the kids in the situations to break the chain of events that is sucking them in. This builds, one-by-one, until the power is shifted. The targets of bullying been made to feel like they have no power (which is the number one goal of any bullying action). And the witnesses to the bullying events have the most power in any incident, but they don't have the tools.
This should be the adult's focus for stopping the bullying, but we rarely see it.
May 18, 2010 at 3:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Shocked (anonymous) says...
"It is nice to know that Mrs. Griffin and her staff have taken the high road to make sure this responsibility is met"
High Road? More like snuck out the back door? Are you kidding me? Every parent here hopes that this doesnt happen to their child..and until it does, you have NO idea how it affects your lives. Those people who say its unfounded are just nuts...why in the WORLD would children...CHILDREN make this up...
May 18, 2010 at 4:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
giggles (anonymous) says...
What are you waiting for? Oh, I see you want to wait until he actually brings the gun to school and shoots someone.
Listen, I know that to some of you, doing so would violate some right in your mind. However, if this particular boy has a long record of bullying or issues of violence then it may be reasonable enough to take him out of the school. Having him followed for a short while certainly doesn't prove anything. Most kids I know won't incriminate themselves in front of an adult, in fact they will wait as long as it takes to make sure an adult would not be witness.
I worked at one of the schools mentioned not all that long ago. As far as gangs go...well let's just say that if certain children didn't consider themselves as being in a gang, they certainly believe there are members around town. They knew their signs, their graffiti, what the meanings were of the graffiti and signs, knew people in town who consider themselves members of these gangs. You could hear them whispering little bits here and there, then there was some incidents with graffiti, and only a couple of students would elaborate on what they were, but they really didn't want to say seemingly out of fear of some sort of backlash. Whether or not any of you feel there are "real gangs" in Emporia, they are definitely real and seemingly dangerous to many of the children in our community.
Do we have to let it get to the point of gangs making their presence more well known (street fights, shootings, violent initiations, etc.) ?
May 18, 2010 at 4:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lots_to_learn (anonymous) says...
Well, it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. The point is, not to WAIT until somebody gets hurt.
May 18, 2010 at 6:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cookatwork (anonymous) says...
We may not have all the evidence here... but I know for a fact that the 5th grade building is where many kids feel quite unsafe. My son, who btw has always been about a head taller than the rest of the class, was bullied and bullied by other kids - push into lockers, chairs pulled out from under him, knocked down the stairs. It was never seen by an adult.... UNTIL one winter day... he came out of school and 4 boys came running out from behind the bushes and one threw an ice ball at him.... and the other 3 came up from behind him and pushed him down and he slid like a bowling ball down the icy sidewalk - IN FRONT of 3 teachers. Those adults stood there... my son bleeding... he walked into the building and called me... NOT a teacher. I contacted the school about this incident NOT the school contacting ME! The adults stated that the story happened the way my son said it did.... but I never got a reason as to why they didn't do ANYTHING about it when it happened. The boys that did this got suspended but the DAY they got back.... he came home with 3 softball sized bruises in the middle of his back from being punched while he was trying to get something out of his locker! They were separated the next two years... now this year... it starts again... I go to school to pick him up from the middle school and what do I find... 3 of these boys and 3 more surrounding my son IN FRONT of the school!!!!!! It was at this time I find out that these boys have been breaking into his locker - they have stolen text books, ruined his backpack and all the papers in it, and downloaded $216 worth of apps on his phone and changed passwords and settings to where we had to take it into the store and have it reprogrammed,,,, and the last thing that happened was that he was threatened to be "beat down" and to watch his back... and when he got his phone out of his locker that afternoon the roller ball had been shoved IN to the phone... thank goodness it was within the warranty period AND we had insurance. I remember having bullies in school... but I also remember the teachers having paddles hanging behind their desks... MAYBE just MAYBE their was something to giving our teachers just a little more authority to discipline... BUT... I also remember that the people used to hold the parents accountable for their kids' actions. When I attempted to contact the parents of one of these boys... imagine my surprise when I was given the answer of "they won't be home until midnight"... and another's mother told me "I can't keep control of him... what do you want ME to do?".... has anyone thought that maybe the "disciplining our children harms them more than helps them" has LEAD to some of what we are seeing today? I have literally had a 15 yr old boy tell me, "at least in 'juvey' I knew what the rules were and what would happen if i didn't follow them... at home I have no rules"............. THAT scares me!
May 18, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
finch (anonymous) says...
Koro says we should wait to see if the boy is guilty. Hopefully the evidence won't be someone being shot when he carries out his threat to bring a gun to school.
May 18, 2010 at 9:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
titan (anonymous) says...
I believe that when it gets to the point of someone being shot at one of the public schools it will probably need to be included in the oprah magazine with the article of how great emporia isnt!!! I fully believe that the ones replying to this making fun of it must have no children that they really care about or love. They must have been THE BULLIES in their school. come on people is this what you really want for your community is for everyone in it to know that going to the BIG 5TH GRADE is a very scary thing? this is not a game here there is really some one who needs help. the parents of these children need help getting this to be gotten under control. How would you like it if this were your child or grandchild? there are families moving out of this town every single day due to this fact alone because our public schools stink...that is not a good thing! There are people moving their kids to private, charter, online schools for this reason because our kids do not feel safe at school!!! It seems as if the ones who bully are still bullying and the ones who try their hardest get sent home and put on medicine for the rest of the year! Is this because of the no child left behind? they dont want to leave the bullies behind? So the ones who actually go to school to get an education and learn get punished? that really seems backwards to me but then again I am a parent of a child who was at that school last year and we had a horrible year and now next year I have a daughter who has exceeded in everything she has ever done going to that school next year and she is already scared!! She has begged me since her brother was there to please not send her there because she is scared!! This didnt just start happening this year it has been getting worse and worse for quite sometime now and it seems like that is what they are waiting for is the one child who is angry or upset or has a bad home life to act on their words and bring the gun to school and use it...then what kind of name will emporia kansas have earned? It sure doesnt seem like it would be a very positive place now does it???
May 18, 2010 at 10:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Does anyone remember a place called " Colmubine " ? I know it's a terrible thing to say or even think, but will it actually take a student or students being, either seriouly injured or losing their life/lives, at the hands of another student, right here in " Emporia " , before those who are in charge of our childrens " Safety " and education will take the necessary, appropiate action to resolve/alleviate an obvious unsafe and threating school environment that, according to some, does obviously exist in " Our " , Emporia school/schools .
May 19, 2010 at 6:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )