In the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, California Senator Steve Bradford urged passage of a bill that removes the requirement of schools to notify law enforcement when students make threats against the school.
Bradford is seeking to create a “safer” school environment with SB 1273 by citing the removal of school police from Los Angeles Unified School District.
Bradford has no children of his own.
Sen. Sydney Kamlager-Dove supported the bill despite being a step-mother.
“It is one thing to be disruptive in your class not intending to use anything that you may have in your locker, on your person, in your bookbag,” said Kamlager. “It is another thing to have a weapon that you intend to use.”
Related: Middle school student taken into custody after LAUSD police find her armed with gun, ammunition
Sen. Melissa Melendez voiced her opposition to the bill citing a mass shooting in Florida after a student was expelled.
“I will remind you that in 2018 of the Stoneman Douglas shooting where 17 people were killed by their fellow student Nicholas Cruz who had behavioral issues since middle school,” said Melendez. “He was transferred six times to address the issues.”
On February 14, 2018, an expelled student entered Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others, in what became at the time the deadliest shooting at a high school in United States history.
Dressed in a maroon shirt adorned with the school logo, Nikolas Cruz exited his Uber outside the campus at 2:19 p.m. He approached the school wearing a backpack filled with magazines and carrying a black duffel packed with his legally purchased AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
Should schools take all threats seriously?
SB 1273 passed 21-12.
Just 2 days after the devastating murder of 19 children in Texas and 2 adults, the California State Senate passed SB 1273, which would remove the requirement for schools to notify law enforcement when a student makes a threat against the school. pic.twitter.com/A0lYyX4ymK
— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) May 26, 2022
1 Comment
How times have changed!
There was a time that children went to school to learn and when they graduated high school they had obtained both the skills and knowledge to go on to college or the work place.
During that time students were taught to be respectful of others- shooting them was not an option.
Police Officers were helpful community members who were the example of respectful and were likewise respected!
Wow that sounds so fantasyland but yes those were the basics of not long ago.
Unfortunately, by contrast today kids “graduate” largely without proficiency in reading or math -never mind science or history.
Unfortunately Many police officers seem to think they are above the law, and keep their toes right on that ethical line that should never be crossed.
As for the respect thing – look up the lyrics of the popular rappers! Between devaluing woman, as if they are things to be used, and celebrating physical assault and violence there is no expectation of what used to be called civility.
Sense of Community and Common sense seems to have gone the by the wayside .
NO tolerance for violence has on occasion seriously off the deep end – a 2nd grader found a paper clip on the ground, was in the process of straightening it when a girl who he felt was pestering him, asked what he had in his hands he looked at her and said what do you think -it is a gun. And for that retort the child was suspended for 3 days after the girl ran to the teacher claiming the boy had threatened her. Clearly the paper clip was not a gun he brought to terrorize his classmate
Balance seems a more realistic option. The daily presence of Police officers on campus should not give the impression they are an occupying military force, but certainly should not be persons to fear Whenever they are seen on campus either.
Of course reports should be made and counseling, or more intense therapy should be made available as needed.
Let us all hope that teachers and staff understand not being “Required” does not prevent them from making reports of concerning behavior to Law Enforcement
Thank you for the link to the video of the discussion- everyone should watch it to learn how decisions like this are thought (?) through by those we elect to office.
Since security is the bigger topic consider the layout of classroom buildings . NO classroom should be permitted to be built in such a way that there is not a way to escape. We must avoid children being trapped inside !!