Teachers skip class after student charged with threatening NC school with violence
At least 23 teachers were not in class Monday at McDougle Middle School in Carrboro following a threat made by a student last week, according to district emails.
Many students also did not show up, and parents picked up others to take them home throughout the day, according to those who spoke with The News & Observer.
District spokesman Andy Jenks said 17 of the 23 teachers absent Monday stayed out of work because of concerns about school safety.
The incident, in which a student threatened the school in front of a teacher, was reported to the Carrboro Police Department on Feb. 26. Two days later police filed a juvenile petition, charging the student with threats of mass violence on an educational property, a police spokesman said.
McDougle Middle School Principal Christopher Horne told parents in an email Tuesday that there were no weapons involved.
Horne emailed parents Monday afternoon to let them know it was safe for students to return to school, but that the staff would honor each family’s decision.
The school has taken several steps to address security, he said, including having a threat assessment team review and decide how to deal with the situation. Additional personnel are supervising students in the hallways and checking in with classrooms, he said.
Horne said he will join district leaders in meeting with teachers, as a group and one-on-one, to answer questions and share the plan.
“I know it can be unnerving for students to see additional, unfamiliar adults supporting our school,” Horne said. “This is evidence of our plan in action. If you hear from your student, please assure them that school is safe for them.”
The school is also addressing the allegations with the student and their family, he said an earlier email.
The district’s student code says students can be expelled or placed on long-term suspension for “serious violations that threaten to substantially disrupt the education environment” or that threaten the safety of students, staff and visitors.
Jenks declined to share what steps are being taken with the student accused of making threats.
Few details released, but substitutes fill gaps
The district and the police department have provided few details, citing the student’s age. Horne urged parents to talk with their children about “the expectations for behavior and respectful, responsible communication” at school.
On Sunday night, Horne emailed parents again to let them know 15 staff members would be out Monday. Some of the teachers already had planned to be out, he said, but others had notified the school since Friday. The number grew Monday.
Some teachers were concerned that they did not learn what happened until the email was sent to parents on Tuesday, Jenks said, and there are some concerns about the timeliness of the notification. However, school officials “felt it was addressed thoroughly and appropriately at the time,” he said.
School board Chairman George Griffin clarified Monday that some of the teachers who had planned to be out were taking the day off because schools are closed Tuesday for a teacher workday due to the March 5 primary election.
Substitute teachers are helping to cover the vacancies, Horne said.
The school resource officer for McDougle Elementary and Middle schools is working with the administration to help with the situation, Horne said in his message Sunday.
“I would like to offer my assurance that a thorough safety plan is in place, reviewed and vetted by district administration, to ensure that all students and staff have a safe and enjoyable day at school,” he said.
Griffin said the school board has received updates, but he, too, declined to comment on the student’s specific situation.
“My sense from what I hear officially is the administration at the school has taken the situation seriously since last Monday (Feb. 26) and they’ve been working diligently with the faculty and the district leadership to make sure the school was safe,” Griffin said.
Parents pick up students, got no updates
Multiple parents said they had heard the child who made the threats was back Monday, accompanied by an officer. There has been no additional information from the school or the district about the situation, they said.
Horne addressed those rumors in Monday’s email, saying he also heard them, but “to the best of our knowledge these are untrue.”
Jenks declined to confirm or deny the rumor, citing student privacy concerns.
“I certainly understand why folks are interested in that information. I understand why it’s important to ask that. At this moment in time, we’re willing to take the criticism that comes with not answering that question directly,” Jenks said.
Carrboro police spokesman Capt. Ryan Daniels said no other officers were assigned to McDougle on Monday and the school resource officer was “currently at school performing his normal duties.”
A parent outside McDougle Middle School, who did not give her name, said she came to take her daughter home, because there were no teachers in her classes. There were only four students in her orchestra class, the girl said, and many other students also were not in their classes.
Parent Chris McQueen said he was in a line of parents at the school just before noon, to take his child home.
They aren’t getting a lot of information, he and others said. McQueen said he understands the staff is swamped, but he watched as an employee ignored his repeated calls to the school phone while waiting in the office for his child, he said.
He confronted the staff member, but his concerns were ignored, he said, and his calls to the district office were sent to voice mail.
This story was originally published March 4, 2024 at 8:37 AM.
