UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Parents at a Union County school say they’re demanding change after several incidents that made their children feel threatened.
In one incident at Union Academy Charter School in Monroe, parents say a student pointed a knife in another student’s side.
The Monroe Police Department told Channel 9’s Gina Esposito that a school resource officer found the knife and petitioned through juvenile justice.
One mom says she didn’t know her daughter was a victim. She went through her phone months later and asked the school about it, but they claim they didn’t know she was involved.
“I noticed that a boy said to her, ‘Were you scared when I put a knife up to your side?’ She said, ‘I knew you were joking,’ I immediately was like what was this all about?” said Tarah Sullivan.
Sullivan told Esposito that she was shocked when she found the text message. She recently sent a letter to Union Academy Charter in Monroe calling for a formal investigation into this and other recent safety concerns.
Last week, Sullivan said her daughter told her that a police officer disguised as a student was walking the halls, but no one stopped them. The school reminded students to keep their badges visible, and Monroe police said it was a safety drill.
“Still to this day, they have never sent any communication about it,” Sullivan said.
On May 14, Monroe Police said there was another incident involving a student who said, “I’ve got something for you in my bag” to another student. The bag was searched and no gun was found.
We asked the school about it last week. On Friday, the school sent a letter to parents saying, “We regret that we did not communicate with our community the nature of this event sooner.” It goes on to say it’s limited in what it can say due to privacy laws.
“This would be the only communication I have seen that even somewhat addresses anything but it’s so vague,” Sullivan said.
Late Tuesday, the school sent a response to Sullivan’s letter. A spokesperson said: “Parent concerns about safety are taken seriously ... We have a comprehensive safety plan in place, which is regularly reviewed and followed. However, for the security of our students and staff, the details of this plan are not shared publicly, as doing so could compromise its effectiveness.”
The board responds
On Wednesday, Esposito asked the board chair and the school about two changes: creating a safety committee, and a protocol for notifying board members of safety incidents.
A spokesperson wrote the board made comments and adjourned, but they didn’t say what was discussed.
Parents say they want to keep the momentum going through the summer so they can see changes when students go back to school in the fall.
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