Oxford teachers union releases first statement since shooting: 'We are changed forever'
Active shooter training "saved lives" on Nov. 30 during the Oxford High School shooting, wrote Jim Gibbons, the president of the Oxford Education Association, the school district's teachers union.
Gibbons addressed the public Friday for the first time since the shooting that left four students dead and seven others, including a teacher, wounded.
The emotional statement thanked first responders for their service in the aftermath of the shooting and in stopping the shooter. Gibbons also thanked the community for its support of students, parents and educators.
"We are changed forever by the events of the past 11 days, but to know that so many are standing with us provides more comfort than I can possibly say," he wrote.
Gibbons is the band director at Oxford High, according to the district's website. He acknowledged that community members are searching for answers after the deadly shooting and wrote that "there are many stories that need to be told about what happened on Nov. 30 to save lives."
However, he wrote, those stories will take time to come out.
"All of us want answers — but no answers will take away this pain, which is why I’m so appreciative of recent comments that the outcome of these investigations needs to focus on ensuring we know what happened so we can learn from this tragedy," he wrote.
Two Oxford teachers have been identified as defendants in a lawsuit filed Thursday, alleging negligence in keeping students safe. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, in filing the suit on behalf of a wounded student and her sister, claims teachers could have done more after identifying red flags in the behavior of the shooting suspect, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley.
More: Support pours into grieving Oxford community. Here are ways to lend a hand.
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Gibbons did not address the suit in his comments Friday.
He did praise the active shooter training and "quick action of teachers, support staff and administrators" at the school.
"When my colleagues are ready, we will tell those stories, both so our community can heal and so that others can learn how best to deal with the unthinkable if it happens to them," he wrote.
Gibbons wrote that he connected with educators from Parkland, Florida, and Newtown, Connecticut, joining "an unwanted fellowship of educators."
"But together, with our friends, family, and colleagues here across Michigan, we will move ahead and ensure our students have a safe space to succeed and thrive in the years ahead," he wrote.
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oxford teachers union president: 'We are changed forever'
