NAACP president: Kids want wands, metal detectors, more mental health resources in schools

Teresa Haley said School District 186 students want wands, metal detectors and more mental health resources in schools in light of the stabbing of a Lanphier High School senior outside of the school last week.

Haley, addressing the School District 186 board of education in the public comment section before it went into executive session Monday, said it is time for the change.

"If the kids are asking for it, it’s time for the adults to own up to it and let the kids be the voice and let the kids be the change that we want to be and they want to see," said Haley, president of the Springfield chapter and state conference of the NAACP afterward speaking.

Police arrested a 15-year-old girl Friday in connection with the fatal Wednesday stabbing of Pierre V. Scott Jr., who turned 18 just two days before the incident.

The teen is in custody at the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center.

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She was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony.

Charges have to initially be filed in juvenile court but Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright said he plans to petition the court to have the girl face trial in adult court.

Students, including her own granddaughter, Haley said, "are scared. They want to be wanded down. They don’t care about that inconvenience and that inconvenience is keeping them safe throughout the school day and being able to go home to their families afterward. They would rather be wanded down."

Haley also called for more mental health professionals in schools.

"If our kids are recognizing they need mental health support after a tragedy occurs, it is our responsibility as members of the school district to make sure that takes place," Haley said.

Sharon Telson, who has a daughter and a son at Lanphier, said she wished there were metal detectors at the school.

"Parents are really upset that there’s not enough security in the school," said Telson, at a vigil and balloon release for Scott at Lanphier Friday.

Sabrina Gelsinger, the mother of a Lanphier freshman, agreed.

"They need to (upgrade) the security here, period," Gelsinger said. "I’ve thought several times of taking my daughter out of this school, but I went here."

Bailey Cordier, a freshman at Lanphier also speaking after Friday's vigil, said she would like to see more security guards and police officers "around and being seen, more of them being known because if they’re not known, people think, hey, I can get away with this and that’s exactly what happened (Wednesday)."

School board president Anthony Mares, reached Monday before the meeting, said he was sure that board members would have questions regarding "policies, procedures and protocols" surrounding security at district buildings.

"Security has always been a priority, not only for the board, but for the administration," Mares said.

Mares added that new construction and reconfiguration of schools in the district's master plan emphasizes security. Examples include, he said, the elimination of mobile units, the installation of more security cameras and new and more secure entrances.

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"We want to have the safest environment for our students and our staff," Mares said.

Mike Lopez said his heart was aching over Wednesday's tragedy.

"I beg that we collectively as a community work together as partners not as adversaries…to protect our students, our administrators our teachers and support staff," said Lopez, who has a grandchild in District 186. "This is not the time in my personal opinion to finger point and place blame and ask for people to resign and step down."

Lopez is the president of the village of Jerome but was addressing the board as a private citizen.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: NAACP head calls for metal detectors, wands in schools