School and parents hyper-sensitive to the making of 'lists'

An incident at Gilford Middle School, several months old now, that resulted in the suspension of a student calls attention to the degree to which both administrators and parents are on high-alert in a post-Columbine world. Administrators believe they acted prudently and properly in handling what they describe as a "low level" situation that did not rise to the level of a threat but rumors persist and a least one mother remains uncomforted by what she has learned thus far.

She contacted The Daily Sun about her concerns, asking that her name not be used publicly because of concerns for the well being of her own child. (A statement she wrote is reprinted on page X.)

In cases like this school officials are, of course, to some degree handicapped by their need to protect students' privacy rights. They often cannot provide all the information that might be necessary to quell speculation because of the need to preserve confidentiality.

When asked, Principal Jim Kemmerer declined to provide anything other than the broadest outline of the incident in question but was forthcoming about how the School District generally deals with bullying, harassment and threats of physical harm.

The incident began when one student observed another compiling a list of names that included some fellow students. The observing student notified administrators and the list-maker was later suspended from school for two weeks, even though officials insist there was no direct or implied threat made to the people on the list.

Administrators thought that would be end of things but, weeks later, the observing student apparently notified one or more of the kids on the list of its existence and it became, in the eyes of some, a "hit list".

Kemmerer says the parents of the children whose names were on the list were not notified when it was originally discovered because the students didn't know about it, and therefore could not be bullied or harassed by something they were unaware of. When the existence of the list became common knowledge among students the dynamics of the situation changed and parents were notified at once.

"Our protocol is that anytime we get wind of something like this (a list), we follow up immediately," said Kemmerer. "A simple list of names is all that is needed to earn a student some serious scrutiny."

Kemmerer said a list doesn't need to contain any sort of implied threat for the school to take it seriously, a point that was obviously driven home by the two week suspension to the list-maker in this case. "That's how hyper-sensitive we are," said Kemmerer. "It's a different era."

Police Chief John Markland said his department had been notified of the existence of the list of names that had been compiled in this case. Detective Kristian Kelley investigated, he said, and determined that "no criminal acts were committed" and the matter was referred back to the School District for handling.

Kemmerer, too, insists there was no "hit list'. "I've been here for seven years, and I can't recall any 'hit lists'," he said.

That doesn't mean that there's no bullying, harassment or threats at his middle school, Kemmerer said, which he added would be present in any middle school environment. "I feel it is a very safe school and I feel our kids are happy and healthy."

District policy, he said, calls for a specific sequence of events to be followed if a student is found to be bullying, threatening or harassing towards others.

If there's a threat, the first thing that is done is that the principal, superintendent and resource officer meet to determine the nature of the threat.

In a bullying or harassment situation, the parents of the children, both the bully and the victims, are to be notified within 24 hours. The aggressor is suspended from school for 10 days. Before the student can return, he or she must be given an independent psychological evaluation — paid for by the student's parents — that must determine the student doesn't pose a risk to anyone in the school. The student must also be interviewed by the superintendent, who will make a similar evaluation.

"We don't joke about these things," said Kemmerer.

Before the student returns, the school will provide that student with a strategy, including how to explain to classmates why the student was out for so long. Guidance counselors and other services will be directed to the student to "get to the root" of what caused the anti-social behavior.

"We have a safe school. We have good kids here, vigilant teachers. We care about the rights of every student in our school and protect their rights," Kemmerer concluded.