BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – The mother of the Brookville student who reported plans of an alleged planned school shooting at the Brookville Junior/Senior High School in early April took to Facebook this week to express her concerns about the situation this past week.
Jenny Curry wrote in an April 30 post that it is her belief that the students who were planning the attack have been released from Pathways Adolescent Center and could end up attending the school again if the district doesn’t expel them.
“(On) Saturday, April 27, 2019, (our son) was in his room playing Xbox Live when he found out that BOTH BOYS were out of Pathways and that BOTH BOYS ‘knew’ that (he) told,” Curry wrote. “Somehow, they had information that was only disclosed in the police report. Now, some threats have been placed on (him). He’s been called a snitch, a tattle (tale) and can’t be trusted, etc. Now our son is being bullied.”
Curry wrote that it was her understanding that if the alleged planners “pass an evaluation” they would be “allowed” back into school if the district doesn’t expel them.
“These kids are out of lockup, they are allowed back in public, they are allowed back on social media,” Curry wrote. “From our eyes, the boys just got a slap on the hand and told not to do it again. My husband and I are very upset that the only one that seems to be getting punished is the one that saved countless lives. Even the lives of the kids that were planning the shooting.
“In our eyes, our son is a HERO!!
“Sadly there are some that think otherwise. I can’t even imagine what would have gone down if nothing had been said. Your children are still alive. The boys are still alive. These boys need help. They need to be taught how serious this was.”
Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett’s office said it didn’t have a comment on the matter when asked if the alleged attack planners were still in custody, with a representative in the office saying they couldn’t comment on the matter because it involved juveniles.
According to the Brookville Area School District Student-Parent Handbook, a student may be expelled from school for “possession” of a weapon. It also states that a “disruptive” student, which is defined as “a student who poses a clear threat to the safety and welfare of other students or the school staff, who creates an unsafe school environment or whose behavior materially interferes with the learning of other students or disrupts the overall educational process,” could merit expulsion. One of the definitions of a disruptive student in the handbook is a student who exhibits “violent or threatening behavior on school property or during school-affiliated activities” with another definition being a student who makes a “commission of a criminal act on school property or during school-affiliated activities.”
The handbook also states that the School Board “may permanently expel from the district rolls any student whose misconduct and disobedience warrants this sanction.”
Any student facing expulsion will go through a formal hearing before “a duly authorized committee of the Board” unless an expulsion waiver is signed by the student/parents/guardians and approved by the school board.
The Parent-Student Handbook also addresses bullying:
“The District is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for students.
“Bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, disrupts the safe environment necessary for learning and may lead to more serious violence. The Board and civil law insists on respect for the dignity of the human person. Any student who has been bullied to promptly report such incidents to their building principal, and/or fill out the Bullying/Cyberbullying complaint form attached to Policy 249 on the District’s web page.
“ANY TYPE OF BULLYING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!
“Bullying means an intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act or series of acts directed at another student or students, which occurs in a school setting and/or outside a school setting that is severe, persistent or pervasive and has the effect of substantial interference with a student’s education, creating a threatening environment and/or causes substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.”
Brookville Superintendent Robin Fillman wasn’t in her office on Friday to comment on the expulsion or bullying policies in the District, and the district office personnel said only Fillman could answer those questions.
CURRY OUTLINES HOW HER SON CAME TO KNOW OF ALLEGED PLANS
In her Facebook post, Curry outlined some of the details of how her son became aware of the alleged plans.
“On Friday, March 29 our son came to us with concerns about some actions that were to take place Monday, April 1, 2019, of his friends that he grew up with having detailed plans on what they were going to do to the school,” Curry wrote. “One of his friends even told our son ‘Don’t come to school Monday because we like you!’
“(Our son) was put into a very uncomfortable corner. He was very upset and was very worried. These two ‘friends’ were going to take guns to school and during lunch, were going to open fire in Brookville High school cafeteria. Killing anyone in their way. (Our son) came and told us what was going to happen. Both myself and my husband were very upset to hear in detail what was supposed to happen. We had (our son) talk to the police.
“That night the police went to these boys homes and brought them in for questioning. Both kids admitted to what was going to happen. And both boys were sent to Pathways, that night. Brookville police told us that this was the closest that they have ever come to having an actual shooting at the school. These boys had details and schedules and a serious plan.”
DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT
In an early April interview with exploreJeffersonPa.com Brookville Borough Police Chief Vince Markle said the department received information on Friday, March 29, relating to two students who allegedly planned to carry out a school shooting at Brookville Junior-Senior High School on Monday, April 1.
Through further investigation, authorities determined the juveniles had detailed plans and “spoke of what they planned to do with their peers.”
“Students came to us and confided in us about the individuals’ intentions,” Markle said at the time.
“Our department has a close relationship with the school district. Two officers are coaches at the high school, four others are security guards, and I am involved in the D.A.R.E Program. The D.A.R.E Program is building a wonderful bond with the students. The relationships with the students have developed, and the students have become comfortable with the police department.
“We learned of the plan around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29, and the department and the school worked together hand-in-hand on Friday night.”
The students were questioned with their parents present, according to Markle.
A call to Markle on Thursday, May 2, to follow up on the status of the investigation was not returned.
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