Mixed emotions as to the school's culpability.
I'm a teacher who retired recently after 25 years of teaching 8th grade in NYC. I'm also a mother and grandmother.
Over the years I think I've encountered nearly every situation imaginable. We are mandated reporters, which includes reporting on anything that even hints of violence. In the years before cell phones, I used to rip the page out of the notebook if a child drew a picture of a gun, or of gang symbols, or anything suggesting self-harm. I would bring these (or any essays involving the same) to the guidance counselor and the assistant principal. They would contact the parent or guardian, and then they would make the judgment call about the threat level. Post- cell phones I would take a picture and text that immediately to my superiors, who would always come and escort that child from the classroom.
Regarding the rights of a child---it is so true that we have a heart for the children. It is also so true that we don't see even the troublemakers as little monsters. Yet we have a heart and the responsibility for ALL the children under our tutelage, which IMO and experience requires the removal from school of anyone who even slightly seems capable of harm.
We have searched bookbags on multiple occasions, even for something like a red laser light, or on Halloween to search for eggs. This is something that the parents/guardians have to sign off on when we distribute a first day of school contract.
The one time we did have an actual school shooter, in my last year of teaching, it was a child who had never demonstrated any suspicious behavior. He did not shoot the gun in the end, thankfully, but it was a very frightening all-day lockdown.
As to the parents---IMO the mother seems demonic. Texting her son "lol I'm not mad learn how not to get caught" is wildly inappropriate and clearly off the wall bad parenting. Her stepson leaving the home due to conflict with her, her rambling letter to Trump, her prior arrests all point to a reckless and heedless mother, IMO. The parents buying him a gun for Christmas when he is underage? Unspeakable.
However, the apple falling far from the tree is not always the case. There have been a multitude of good parents who were stunned when their child turns out this way.
If the parents are indeed fugitives then I hope when they are caught that every available charge is thrown at them. To think they'd leave their 15 year old to deal with this and would rather hightail it.
No words.
All jmo.
