Grady HS Shooting: Many Questions Remain Unanswered

 

APS administrators praised Grady High School for immediate response to the crisis situation on Wednesday, while acknowledging gaps in current security procedures.

While there seemed to be a great effort toward transparency and cooperation to make sure our children are safe at APS schools, many questions about the specific incident remain unanswered: Why did a 17-year-old girl feel the need to bring a gun to school? Did she feel threatened or was she the aggressor? Is there related gang activity at Grady?

After brief opening remarks by APS administrators and Grady Principal Dr. Vincent Murray, members of the audience were invited to comment or ask questions. The overall consensus among parents and students who spoke at the community meeting was positive about the effective response at Grady and subsequent communication to parents.

Many parents mentioned (to applause) how happy they were to receive text messages from their students during the lockdown, to know that they were safe. Parents expressed concern about the current rigid APS district policy regarding the possession and use of cell phones at school. 

There are many inconsistencies in policy enforcement at Grady. Even during the lockdown, many teachers allowed students to text or call their parents and friends, while some adhered to strict policy, which does not allow use of cell phones during class time. Atlanta School Board Member Cecily Harsch-Kinane confirmed the cell phone policy is being examined and changes can be expected, toward a more updated policy.

There were many questions and concerns regarding security procedures, especially about metal detectors, bag checks and the time it is taking students to get through security lines and get to class in the morning. Students noted “gaps” in current procedure, which were acknowledged, with late arrivals, student movement on campus, back and forth to the parking lot, with so many unprotected entrances at Grady and the many students who do not pass through the metal detectors on their way to first period classes in auxiliary buildings.

Excellent parent comment, representative of mood and opinion:

“...Applaud The Southerner [Grady HS student newspaper] for comprehensive and accurate information on Facebook. The school did an awesome job responding. I do not believe this is a metal detector issue. This is an issue about this girl, her family and the world she lives in. I don’t want to see Grady become an armed fortress with police officers at every door. Inman, too. We really need to be talking to our kids, not a knee-jerk reaction to beef up security.”

Another parent (Abby Martin, CINS co-president) noted support for APS proposal for 100 percent full-time APS police officers in schools. Also suggested the need for full-time social workers to address social and emotional issues in an effort to prevent situations.

APS Director of Security, Chief Marquenta Sands, pointed out the timetable on responding, evaluating and resolving problems was immediate and ongoing. In addition to the community meeting Thursday night, student meetings will be taking place Friday in Advisement to address student concerns, information and suggested solutions. Dr. Murray will be meeting with student representatives (two students from each homeroom classroom) next week to work on safety procedures with student input.

Sands announced three reporting methods students can use to submit tips, comments or concerns:

1)  Crime Stoppers, in association with APD:  404-577-8477

2)  APS District Tip Line (monitored by a vendor):  1-877-801-7754

3)  Students at Grady High School can submit tips, comments or concerns to a secured box located in the Discipline Office.

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APS/Grady HS Community Meeting After School Shooting
 

Thursday February 28, 2013

6:31
2/28/2013 - Grady High School
APS Community Meeting After 2/27 School Shooting
6:35
Audience is settling in for meeting to begin. News media with cameras set up.
About 100 people in attendance. (Well over 100 by the end.) 6:38
Chief Marquenta Sands, APS Director of Security
David White, APS East Region Executive Director
Dr. Vincent Murray, Grady HS Principal
Lauren Alford, Grady HS SGA (Student Gov't Assoc) President 6:41
Grady HS Principal Dr. Murray opens meeting, introduces Steve Smith - APS Associate Superintendent. School Board Representative Cecily Harsch-Kinane present. Also Nancy Meister. 6:42
Recent incident unacceptable. Focus on safety in APS. 6:43
Mr. Smith mentions anonymous tip line we will be hearing about tonight. Continue to work together to identify risks and take precautions moving forward. 6:44
Introducing David White, APS East Region Executive Director 6:45
Acknowledges Lauren Alford, Grady HS Senior & Student Gov President, at table. 6:48
Mr. White recognizes speed of Grady HS response yesterday. Improved communication processes within APS. Passionate & stressful time. Tonight's meeting for audience to hear what happened and to ask questions, express concerns. Continue the conversation. 6:51
Chief Marquenta Sands:
A young lady entered the campus and was able to bring a gun, make her way through the gym, outside, shot was fired, grazed her leg. Several students, one adult in the area, witnessed. Between classes, students in transition. Acknowledges picture of firearm (pink gun) is the actual weapon. The gun remained laying in the grass where it was thrown until APD arrived and secured it. Student is still incarcerated. 6:53
Safety plans - "living documents"
Present gaps in policies here at Grady:
1) Open location near busy park. What can we do to address open campus?
Cooperative planning necessary to figure out how to address issues.
Open-ness of Grady campus.
6:55
Sands indicates metal detectors were working yesterday. Student was able to circumvent security process. Another student opened a door for the student with the gun. Stress need for awareness and education. Faculty & staff meeting held after school yesterday to solicit input. How do we work together collectively, as a community? 6:57
Good things in place at Grady:
Do students know they have an avenue to report incidents/concerns?
A couple of years ago, APS coordinated with APD to provide Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line. 6:58
Coordinated Crime Stoppers confidential phone #404-577-8477. 6:59
APS District Tip Line: 1-877-801-7754 7:00
Grady HS new process: Comment Box in Discipline Office 7:03
We have to stop acts of violence through education. The most important thing is reporting to address issues as they arise. Sands has been with APS for 9 years. Over the past two years, we have really put forth the effort to involve you as a community across the district. 7:04
APS Law Enforcement Services - full-time capacity. Proposal to have officers on campus to provide consistency & ability to train school-specific, to build & establish relationships. 7:04
David White invites comment from the audience. 7:05
Q: When something like this happens, could the school have been searched during the lockdown for further investigation and involvement? 7:06
A: Dr. Murray talks about random locker searches and bringing in the K-9 unit for searches. David White confirms search was not done yesterday, based on student's confession. 7:09
Parent: Stresses the importance of students being allowed to have cell phones. Also, is this incident in any way gang-related?
A: Sands talks about student's social media page (Facebook), which may or may not indicate gang involvement (gang signs & associations). They don't know yet.
Q; Are you aware of any gang activity at Grady?
A: Ongoing training to recognize gang activity. City of Atlanta has problems with gang activity. Students are prohibited from participating in gang activity or wearing indications while on campus. 7:13
Q: About metal detectors - how they are used? Effectiveness? Process?
A: White - last two weeks, training & education to teachers & staff about metal detectors.
Dr. Murray - faculty & staff re-trained 2 weeks ago, what to look for. Explains process: metal detectors, wands, search book bags.
Sands - protocol requires all of our schools to use metal detectors, secondary search (wand) required if buzzer sounds. The lights & buzzer goes off when there is metal. Calibrated to a level of sensitivity. Sometimes our students are "heavily layered" in metal, requiring a more timely secondary search. 7:16
Q: On a positive note, appreciated nearby Inman MS going on lockdown immediately. Wants to make sure teachers are following through with lockdown procedures. Reports of some teachers did not follow all procedures. Airport security - with a shooting in APS less than a month ago, why weren't we on highest security? With the security in place, have we been able to prevent guns from coming into Grady?
A: Have we recovered guns in searches in the last year? Dr. Murray says yes, [in his time at APS] there have been two other incidences where guns have been found. Process is working.
[Note: Dr. Murray has been at Grady HS for 22 years; in APS for 30 years] 7:20
Parent - commends Grady HS for doing a great job yesterday. Airport TSA worker/Homeland Security for 6 years, talks about impossibility of 100% prevention. Urges parents to communicate with students, their responsibility. The right thing for us to do as parents is to address our children and talk about these things. Talk to your kids. 7:24
Parent - new family to Grady from private school. Importance of kids' having access to their cell phones for news & information. Media did a disservice to Grady HS yesterday, with headlines, rumors, sensationalism, not having accurate information. Applaud The Southerner [Grady HS student newspaper] for comprehensive & accurate information on Facebook. The school did an awesome job responding. I do not believe this is a metal detector issue. This is an issue about this girl, her family and the world she lives in. I don't want to see Grady become an armed fortress with police officers at every door. Inman, too. We really need to be talking to our kids, not a knee-jerk reaction to beef up security. 7:25
Parent - commend Grady. There was a rumor - is it true this particular student had already exhibited unstable behavior? How was it addressed, if true?
A - Dr. Murray - student is not a troublesome kid. If anything, she is just not focused. Nothing wrong with her behavior, no pattern of behavior or indicators. 7:27
Parent - comment about yesterday's event: received an email notice while he was driving. Made a beeline to the school, Received another notice, appreciates information he received, calmed. Was able to communicate with his child by text. Security process during a prior visit, parent was comfortable with security & precautions. Commends quick response & information. 7:29
Student at Grady HS - arrived to school late sometimes. They stop checking bags after 8:15 or so. What happens to students who arrive late?
A - Sands - an issue that has been discussed, there is a gap in security. Extend hours and examine conditions that allow students to move back & forth (to cars) during school day. 7:31
Parent - metal detectors are not a fix-it-all. Child has let him know more than once that protocol at metal detector is that the body goes through the metal detector, but bags are passed around outside of the detector. How are bags secured?
A - Sands - bags are supposed to be checked as well.
Audience contends bag checks not being done.
A - Miss Alford, GHS student - in her experience, bags are being checked by the teachers. 7:32
GHS Student - How to check students who have 1st period in auxiliary buildings and don't go through the metal detectors?
A - Dr. Murray - another gap in process, expect changes to be made. 7:34
Parent - daughter heard shot & screaming yesterday. She went to class in portables, lockdown, the door was not able to be locked. Students were terrified because they didn't know what was going on, if there was a gunman roaming that could get into the classroom. Substitute teacher.
A - Sands - another gap to make sure doors can be locked and subs know what to do. 7:36
Parent - great job, also mentions importance of students having cell phones. Questions communication process - she did not receive robo-calls or emails. All her info came from her student. 7:39
Parent - we're all very lucky and this would be a totally different conversation we would be having if the girl had shot another student with the gun she was carrying. Metal detector question - children at Inman & Grady - students say the metal detector is "kind of a joke." Don't let up on security, worth waiting in line. First line of defense.
A - Sands - again, that is one of the gaps. Educating our staff to do thorough searches.
White - heightened attention, metal detectors are not the end all, be all, but if problems continue, requests email to dwhite@atlantapublicschools.us. 7:40
Parent - commend students at Grady. Recommends APS uses students - focus groups - take advantage of student wisdom & recommendations. 7:43
GHS Student - teachers/faculty may check us, but yesterday a teacher made a comment that she is trained to be a teacher, not a security guard. Asks about training.
Parent - we are relying on people to protect our children who have no training or experience. Not encouraged that teachers are being trained to do these things. School Board has responsibility to provide resources to hire professionals. Teachers should be teaching, in the classrooms preparing for class, not standing at the doors, checking bags. Appreciation for Grady. Please bring resources in -- do not make our teachers our security guards. 7:45
Parent - question & comment - not about guns, prevention - concern about student athletes. Many times kids have to carry around their equipment. Potential issue with baseball bat/lacrosse equipment being carried around in backpack or carried by hand. Potential safety hazard. Different types of hazards. 7:46
Parent - Abby Martin - resources for security officers. Please write in to School Board to let board members know we want the resources to support APS security proposal. We also need social workers. 7:50
Parent - talking about current cell phone policy. Phone is not a luxury anymore. Specifically talking about fines assessed when student's cell phone is taken -- policy needs to be changed.
A - Sands - need to re-visit district cell phone policy.
Thanks parents for involvement yesterday & support. 7:51
GHS Student - regarding security lines in the morning, feels students are being punished for security provisions -- students receive tardies and lose class time as the result. 7:53
Parent - communication. Student was not allowed to use his cellphone during the lockdown, but obviously, a lot of the students were able to use their cell phones.
A - Sands - policy is student is not supposed to use cell phone during class time. 7:54
Q - commend actions yesterday and for the meeting tonight. Student says there is a student meeting tomorrow?
A - Dr. Murray - student advisement session tomorrow. Next week, Dr. Murray will meet with representative students (2 from each homeroom) to address issues, concerns, process. 7:57
Parent - two students at school, one was able to call/text, one was not. When parent came to school yesterday, questions process of student check-out yesterday afternoon. Asks about timetable for addressing gaps?
A - Sands - the timetable is now. Working this process. Tomorrow is meeting with students and timetable is developing to address gaps as quickly as possible. 8:00
Parent - asks about whether the incident was an accident?
A - Sands - not able to confirm at this time.
Parent references media - Tom Joyner Show specifically. 8:01
Parent - comment about dialog with students. Daughter knows suspect student. Recommends conversation with students to identify problems/concerns. 8:05
Parent - experience with criminal activity at Grady less than positive. Thefts & school response. Slow to react. Parent has had experience where she has had to go outside of the school to resolve thefts and problems, soft attitude toward troubled students committing crimes. 8:06
GHS Student - inconsistencies at Grady, specific concern with some teachers not following process, doing things they are supposed to do, specific advisement lesson plans. Hopes for more school meetings. 8:08
Parent - is there now a metal detector at the gym?
A - No, there is not.
Q - Has there been any repercussions to student who opened the door to suspect?
Suggests stricter procedures & security. 8:09
Closing comments - Steve Smith, Associate Superintendent
Continued dialog, working together to identify & resolve gaps.
Appreciation for parents. Our students deserve safe schools.
Very optimistic that we can and will continue to do this together.
Address current cell phone policy - Cecily Harsch-Kinane. 8:14
Harsch-Kinane - Board is looking at new cell phone policy. Currently, HS students are allowed to have cell phones at school, put away, not used during school day. Concern about MS students also having cell phones. Board working on changing policy so that all students can have cell phones, same as HS. Changes coming, probably no official changes until next year, but they are examining policy and working on it.

H-K was on campus yesterday, and it was a horrible incident, but very proud of our school and response yesterday. Inside view, any parent would have been incredibly pleased at how well our students were taken care of yesterday. 8:15
Meeting concludes. 8:37
Comment From Kay Libman Thanks Sherri

See Also:

• APS Calls Thursday Grady Meeting to Talk School Safety

• Student Accidentally Shoots Herself at Grady High

• Davis: APS police officers can better identify sensitive relationships, head issues off earlier