Boston Public Schools sent out ‘reminder’ to call 911 for assaults, medical emergencies after string of incidents drew criticism

Boston Public Faculties Superintendent Brenda Cassellius despatched a letter round to high school constructing heads final week, reminding them once they need to name 911 after the district took flak over a few of its responses to high school security — a problem that’s now high of thoughts nationally after the horrific bloodbath at a Texas college this week.

“This letter serves as an essential replace/reminder as to when constructing directors should notify police of a state of affairs and/or should present police with scholar report data,” Cassellius wrote to constructing heads final Thursday in a letter the district offered to the Herald. “As constructing directors, you play a important position in conserving our faculties secure.”

Within the letter, which seems to be following up in written type on a gathering earlier that day, runs down a fast checklist of situations through which employees are “required” — a phrase Cassellius underlined — to inform the college district’s security officers and — she underlined that essential conjunction, too — Boston Police by calling 911.

That features the invention of weapons, ammo or different harmful weapons; lacking youngsters; sexual assaults; assault and battery with any object or that ends in “severe bodily hurt”; medical emergencies; felony-level threats; and any “well being and security emergency.”

Cassellius additional notes that employees are required to offer scholar report data to first responders when there’s an ongoing well being and security emergency — although “solely the data essential to carry the emergency to an finish”; with the written consent of a mother or father or guardian; and involving 51A abuse experiences.

Cassellius additionally famous, “Private observations are usually not scholar data and must be launched to police and first responders who’re responding to an emergency and/or investigating a criminal offense.”

This “reminder” adopted a collection of incidents within the faculties that raised questions of whether or not management within the varied faculties averted calling 911. The Herald reported that directors at a distinct college delayed in calling the cops after a BPS mother or father flashed a gun throughout a scholar struggle, and {that a} instructor had boiling water thrown on her by an offended scholar — after which needed to take herself to the physician and the police station after the principal didn’t name 911.

BPS additionally has discovered stay ammo a number of instances over the previous two months, and the Boston Globe has reported college students hitting one another with district-issued Chromebooks with out police being referred to as — and a scholar having a medical challenge that ended up being a stroke with no 911 name.

Simply the morning that the district despatched the letter out, two authorities discovered two weapons at Charlestown Excessive Faculty, although 911 apparently was referred to as rapidly in that case.

Requested after at a press convention on Wednesday about coordination between the colleges and cops, Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Greg Lengthy, the appearing commissioner of the division, saved it transient, saying, “Our police division, and our faculties work collectively on daily basis. We reply to communication about incidents.”

Faculty security is once more a serious headline after one of many deadliest college shootings in U.S. historical past occurred in Texas on Tuesday when a gunman killed 19 college students and two lecturers.

Cassellius, Mayor Michelle Wu and different Boston officers spoke in regards to the taking pictures at a press convention Wednesday that was primarily about summer time antiviolence methods. Cassellius stated she met with principals Tuesday evening to go over security insurance policies, and is having them evaluation evacuation guidelines and different security efforts with employees.

“Yesterday’s tragic occasions and lack of treasured life illustrates the seriousness of the work forward for all of us,” Cassellius instructed reporters on Wednesday. ” Nothing is extra essential than the protection of our kids and guaranteeing they get to be youngsters.”