Parents question Schenevus school's reaction to student with firearm at school

Oct. 31—Many parents are upset at the response from Schenevus Central School officials after a student brought a gun to school, but say that a pervasive bullying problem is at the core of what happened.

According to the school district website, around 275 students attend grades K-12 in the single school building district.

On Oct. 26, school staff called for New York State Police to check the welfare of a student at the school.

According to a statement from state police Troop C, the student left school after speaking with staff and was interviewed at home by police investigators.

Investigators determined that the student was suffering from a mental health crisis and had firearm in his possession while at school.

The student did not make any direct threats or display a weapon at any time, according to the statement.

The juvenile student was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, both felony charges. The student appeared before a judge in the youth part of Otsego County Supreme Court.

Investigators applied for an extreme risk protection order and the student was transported for a mental health evaluation.

Three parents who spoke Tuesday, Oct. 31 to The Daily Star — Tabitha Terrano, Nicole Bodden and Jane Kiep — say they never received a phone call, text or email through the school district's emergency notification system.

Instead, school officials used Facebook and the district website to post letters from Superintendent Jeffrey Bennett communicating to parents and staff the details of the incident.

The first letter dated Oct. 26, the day of the incident, stated that "there was a potential threat in our school building" that morning.

"Any potential threat from this incident was effectively diffused," the letter stated. "The school building is safe and our security measures remain in effect."

The letter indicated that there might have been a threat made.

"Please know, safety is the top priority in the Schenevus Central School District, and we have no tolerance for anyone who threatens to harm any student or staff member," the letter stated.

That letter posted to Facebook drew 149 comments as of Tuesday, many of which were critical of the school district's method of communication to parents.

A follow-up letter dated Oct. 27 stated that at no time "was a weapon displayed or a threat to use a weapon to any students or staff members made."

"We clearly understand with events happening across the country that parents, staff and community members want to know every detail," the second letter stated. "We understand the anguish and disbelief associated with these events and want to take this time to assure you that we will continue to work to improve our safety measures and policies to ensure your students are always safe in this building. We continue to work to improve our communication standards as best we can while maintaining the confidentiality needed during ongoing investigations."

That letter's Facebook post drew 52 comments as of Tuesday. Some commenters repeated sentiments about parents not being informed in a timely manner, but many talked in that thread about bullying at the school.

For Tabitha Terrano, whose fifth-grade son attended the school, the incident was enough to submit a letter of intention to homeschool.

She said that her son had been experiencing anxiety due to bullying at school — in fact her son was not in school Oct. 26 due to bullying — and that she heard about the incident from someone who directed her to the school district website.

"The school never contacted parents," she said. "People work. I don't know anybody on Facebook who can check [constantly] and be aware of things that happen at the school."

The issue of bullying has been going unaddressed in the school for a long time, she said.

"This problem isn't going to go away," she said. "I'm afraid if they don't handle the bullying and put a stop to it, they're going to have more kids doing something like this or even worse."

Nicole Bodden, who has a ninth-grader at the school, said she was an outspoken leader during the debate on whether to merge Schenevus with the Worcester Central School, which residents of Schenevus overwhelmingly rejected in February. The district also had rejected the merger in 2021.

She said she was blocked by the Schenevus School District Facebook page, so she couldn't have seen the letters regarding the Oct. 26 incident.

"I got a message with a screenshot at 12:28 [p.m.] and I called the school at 12:30 [p.m.]," Bodden said. "I talked to [Superintendent's Secretary] Michele Competiello and talked to her for five minutes explaining how it was not handled appropriately. We have these systems in place and the last time I recall it ever being used was for a varsity softball game being rescheduled."

Schenevus Central School District Superintendent Jeffrey Bennett did not return a call for comment Tuesday.

On Oct. 27, the day after the incident, the Schenevus Central School District Board Of Education held a special meeting in executive session, stating that the meeting was to discuss "information relating to a current or future investigation."

Under state open meetings law, boards are allowed to meet in private to discuss information relating to current or future investigations.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 14 in the Draper Room, 159 Main St. in Schenevus.

Before then, a community meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2 — independent of the school district — at 6:30 p.m. at the Schenevus Amvets building, 16 Main St. in Schenevus.

One of the co-organizers, Jane Kiep, who has a son in first grade at the school, said Tuesday that the meeting is for parents to get together and get a chance to speak.

"It's not my soapbox to stand on," Kiep said. "The school has not been forthcoming whatsoever. We want to advocate for kids but not become targets ourselves."