Mass shootings in the United States, such as the most recent one on Feb. 14 at a high school in Florida, set off a variety of responses: sorrow, despair, anger, fear, and inevitably, calls for a political solution. The most publicized in this case, and a common feature in most, is the demand by some for stricter gun-control laws. Other Americans reject that argument, or call it simplistic, and point to behaviour-altering pharmaceutical drugs prescribed to teens, general cultural rot or violent video games as the leading culprit. If you surf the Internet you’ll find websites dedicated to exposing these shootings as false flags perpetrated by supranational forces or all-out hoaxes using crisis actors and compliant media to manufacture consent for disarming Americans and militarizing public spaces.
To say America is a loony bin is truly an understatement. But even in Canada, even on the Sunshine Coast, the effects are felt. The overriding emotion for parents of high school children is usually fear that one of these events will inspire a copycat.
Early this week, the newspaper was contacted by a small number of parents in Sechelt who were concerned after hearing from their teenage children that the school was abuzz with talk about a supposed threat posted online. One of the parents’ key concerns was why the school hadn’t notified them. On Wednesday, Chatelech Secondary principal Mark Heidebrecht addressed this concern.
In a note emailed to parents under the heading “CSS Safety Concerns,” Heidebrecht acknowledged the school had been responding to an incident “that involved threat-related behaviour” and that some parents may have heard about it.
“As this information was worrisome in nature we initiated our community multidisciplinary risk assessment process which involves district staff, police and other key community partners,” he wrote. “Police believe there is no threat to our school but due to the privacy considerations this is all I can share at this time. I do want to assure you that all staff and students are safe. We take every precaution to ensure the safety of your child and our staff members.”
After briefly outlining other steps that were taken, he concluded his note by directing parents to the school district website for information about how to talk to their child following a tragic event and inviting them to contact him with questions or concerns. “We know that following tragic events, we are all more aware of the need for safety procedures,” he said.
When situations arise, people like to know there is a clear-cut protocol that will automatically kick in. It could require evacuation of the school and immediate notification of parents. And it could. But each situation is different and automatic responses are often the least effective.
School officials followed a process, moved to address the situation and then notified parents – because that was the correct order in this situation.
In a climate of fear and suspicion, the school appears to have handled the incident responsibly and intelligently. It’s a good lesson for all of us.
