Michigan school board rejects state attorney general’s 2nd offer to investigate shooting

Oxford Group Colleges rejected a second supply from the Michigan legal professional common’s workplace to analyze a college taking pictures in November. The college board mentioned it is going to launch a 3rd social gathering investigation after the civil circumstances in opposition to the district have been litigated.

The college board mentioned it has been totally cooperating with the Oakland County prosecutor’s investigation and can proceed to take action.

Ethan Crumbley, a former pupil at Oxford Excessive College, is accused of taking pictures and killing 4 different college students on the college on Nov. 30. He has pleaded not responsible and is ready to face trial in September.

His dad and mom, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are additionally going through 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to acknowledge warning indicators about their son within the months earlier than he fatally shot his classmates. Two judges have declined to scale back their bail.

The Crumbleys have pleaded not responsible to the costs.

A lawsuit alleges that the district didn’t heed warning indicators earlier than the taking pictures, which the district has denied. The board mentioned stories and analyses shall be made public all through the litigation course of.

Michigan Lawyer Normal Dana Nessel criticized the board’s rejection of her workplace’s supply.

“I’m deeply dissatisfied by the college board’s repeated rejection of my provides to carry out an unbiased and thorough evaluate of the techniques and procedures within the days main as much as and on November 30, 2021,” Nessel mentioned in a press release Wednesday.

She mentioned her division would solely be capable of carry out an exhaustive and thorough evaluate with the cooperation of the college board and district.

“Absent that partnership, I’m restricted to the publicly out there info we’ve got all learn and reviewed,” Nessel mentioned.

The college board mentioned it is going to wait to launch the third-party investigation and mentioned it will likely be partaking specialists as a part of the litigation course of to completely evaluate the tragedy and the occasions main as much as it.

“The continuing felony circumstances have understandably delayed the discharge of data that could possibly be important to our in depth evaluate. Oxford Group Colleges can be responding to quite a few lawsuits on the state and federal ranges which would require consideration and time from our authorized workforce, our employees and the Board,” the college board mentioned in a press release Tuesday.

The board added, “As soon as the litigation course of is accomplished and all info has risen to the floor, a workforce of specialists will conduct a third-party evaluate.”

The board additionally mentioned it’s engaged on a three-year restoration plan which is at the moment below growth by the superintendent and district administration. Upon completion, the plan shall be reviewed by a third-party earlier than being applied in the beginning of the 2022-2023 college 12 months.

Third-party group Safe Schooling Consultants have additionally accomplished an unbiased evaluate into all district security practices and procedures, the board mentioned.

Nessel claimed the board’s rejection stands in the best way of transparency.

“The rejection sends a message that the board is extra centered on limiting legal responsibility than responding to the loud outcry from the Oxford neighborhood to ship higher peace of thoughts to the scholars, dad and mom and educators that lived by means of this traumatic occasion,” she mentioned.