After Student Stabbed, Washington Township Schools Rethink Safety

Two weeks after a North Central High School student was charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing another student with a knife in a campus attack, more than 30 people attended a virtual meeting Wednesday to discuss school safety.

The meeting, which was held by the Washington Township Parent Council Group, was scheduled before the student assault happened.

'See Something, Say Something'

Roosevelt Lindsey, the new chief of police for the Washington Township school district, said school resource officers are doing their best to meet children’s needs – whether that means talking to them or enforcing the law.

“We use the triad approach when we deal with all our children,” Lindsey said. “It’s not just being a police. We are counselors, and we’re educators and we’re law enforcement officers. And that is not in a particular order.”

In order to help prevent school violence, he wants students to use the “see something, say something” model so SROs can have a more proactive response to potential threats.

“A lot of times, in light of some of the incidents we've had at all of our schools, the day after people say, ‘Well, I knew yesterday,’” Lindsey said. “Well, if you’d let us know yesterday, maybe we could have done something to prevent it.”

Potential High School Security Changes

Since the stabbing on Sept. 8, Lindsey said the district brought in multiple SROs from other Washington Township schools to help provide extra support. Now, about five SROs walk the halls of North Central High School.

Lindsey said a mentorship program between SROs and students that started during the pandemic will continue to build stronger relationships.

SROs will also continue to receive professional development and work with social emotional learning coaches, in addition to the district reviewing its emergency preparedness plan.

New violence prevention plans at the high school are possible, said Assistant Superintendent Sean Taylor. One possibility, Taylor said, is the use of metal detection wands to implement random searches as students are entering the school from bus rider lines, carpool lanes, or from the student driver’s parking lot.

“We wanted to strike a delicate balance with regard to not putting a metal detector in every single entrance of the school because we don't necessarily believe that's best,” Taylor said. “But we also know that we can take some more proactive approaches as well to prevent or to sway students from trying to bring potentially dangerous, contraband if you will, into school.”

School staff will also try to increase interaction with students by meeting a couple times a month to discuss a student's grades, attendance, discipline, and social emotional health.

Preventing Future Student Violence

Both Lindsey and Taylor encouraged parents to continue to have conversations with their children so they can stay informed about their social media habits, and can potentially prevent violent incidents from happening.

As more in-person events take place, they also encouraged parents to apply for positions in the school to help build relationships with students and keep them safe.

Students, families and community members who hear of potential student violence, discrimination or harassment are asked to contact the Washington Township school district’s hotline: 317-672-0613 or 1217@ALERT1.US 

Contact WFYI education reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at egabriel@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @_elizabethgabs.