Proctor football post-game shooting: Superintendent gives update on sports, security

The shooting of a school security officer in a parking lot after a football game on Saturday does not mean that the Utica schools aren’t safe.

It doesn’t mean that the Utica schools don’t have good security.

And it doesn’t mean that Utica athletes shouldn’t play out all the games left in the fall season and the rest of the school year, Interim Superintendent Kathleen Davis stressed during a livestreamed update on Wednesday morning.

Those are the points that Davis has emphasized since security officer Jeff Lynch was hit in the back of a head by a bullet during Saturday’s fight as he, other security officers and Utica police officer did their jobs, working to break up the fight.

“We have a very safe school,” Davis said, calling the district’s security policies a model for other districts. “We do a great job here. Our students are very well behaved.”

Davis will advocate and work with other districts on “making sure our students don’t lose one minute of playtime,” she said, noting that cutting extracurriculars would significantly harm Utica students.

The Utica police agree that sports seasons can go on as usual for Thomas R. Proctor High School athletes.

“The actions of a very small few,” Lt. Mike Curley said, “should not affect the great work the students and staff do in the Utica City School District.”

Davis called on the school districts that Utica teams play to work with Utica to make those games happen, to not let anything be taken away from Utica’s students.

Here are other updates on the shooting, and on sports and security in the Utica schools

Security officer Jeff Lynch

He is out of the hospital and “coming along nicely,” Davis said.

She’s heard that he’s been getting lots of calls, she added.

Is Lynch a hero?

Officially, yes. Lynch will be given an “Abby Zwerner Hero Teacher Award,” a national honor for those who show dedication and heroism to students, by The Uvalde Foundation for Kids.

“In the midst of chaos, school officer Jeff Lynch not only kept his composure in attempting to intervene to protect students, but risked his own life for those students entrusted to his care,” National Director Daniel Chapin said. “Individuals such as these are why our foundation supports officers on campuses and heroes such as Mr. Lynch.”

The foundation has also launched a fund to raise money for Lynch’s medical expenses at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-shot-thomas-r-proctor-officer-with-expenses

More information on Saturday’s fight

The Utica police were already “familiar” with the 16-year old who has been charged in connection with the shooting, Lt. Mike Curley said. Due to rules governing juvenile suspects, he could not say whether the teen has been arrested before.

The suspect and other teens involved in the fight did attend the football game, but did not bring in any weapons, Curley said. A metal detector was in use screening the crowd and it did not fail.

Participants got a hold of a gun and a knife in the parking lot after they left the stadium, he said.

The fight was between two groups, one with a knife and one with a gun, that have had ongoing issues, Curley said.

The investigation is ongoing. Most of the teens involved in the fight are juveniles so the police department is working with family court to determine what will happen to participants, Curley said.

Girls’ soccer games this weekend

The varsity and junior varsity girls soccer teams are scheduled to play the Vernon-Verona-Sherill Central School District teams this weekend. VVS officials did not want their students to come to Utica and did not feel that the district could host the games, Davis said. But the Canastota Central School District volunteered two of its fields, she said.

So the games will both take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Oriskany and Whitesboro schools have also volunteered to let Utica borrow fields if needed, Davis said. And Vincent Perrotta, director of physical education and athletics, said he’s been overwhelmed with calls and texts from athletic directors, superintendents and principals offering whatever help the district needs.

Who can attend games?  

The district had determined that only parents can attend home sports games this week. But next week, the district is back to business as usual with open attendance at games.

Security at sporting events

District officials will assess the location of a sports meet and the size of the expected crowd in determining appropriate security measures, Perrotta said.  Swim meets will not need the same level of security as football games, the games that draw the largest crowds.

Football games, at least, will move forward with a metal detector and a police presence in addition to school security, officials said.

Security at away games

Utica is lending the Whitesboro district a portable metal detector and the security officers to run it for the away football game scheduled for Saturday morning in Whitesboro. Could this become a routine precaution since Utica is the only area district with metal detectors in its schools?

“I’m going to be blunt,” Davis declared. “I don’t think it’s just Utica that should have a metal detector. I think every school district should have a metal detector in this day and age.”

“Violence,” she added, “is not just here in Utica. It’s everywhere.”

Security in school buildings

All school buildings still have an Evolv weapons detection system, installed last spring and summer. Each also has a metal detection wand, said Mike Ferrarro, chief operations officer. The high school also has an X-ray machine.

The district purchased the X-ray machine and the first metal detection wands for the high school after a stabbing at Proctor last October at which time the Evolv system was uninstalled (but later reinstalled) in the high school. No weapons have been detected in the schools since that incident, Davis said.

The district also started a 411 system this week, Ferrarro said. High school students must scan photo ID cards to verify their identity before they go through security, a process that, Davis promised, is getting faster. The system will start in the middle schools on Monday and Tuesday, he said.

Protecting school parking lots from weapons

“There’s parking lots at Walmart,” Davis said. “There’s parking lots at every restaurant … When you have a wide open spot anywhere in the world, you’re going to be vulnerable.”

But the district can use security officers, police presence, lights and cameras to improve security, she said.

What have officials learned from the shooting and its aftermath?

“I’ve learned that we have heart here,” Davis said, “that Jeff is forgiving and is a good model.”

She’ learned that Utica is a good security model for other districts. “Our envelope is tight,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean the district doesn’t have to continue to confront risks by evaluating, pivoting and improving, she said.

How can the district move on without fear?

“I feel as if, if you let fear take over, you paralyze yourself,” Davis said.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of fear that’s beginning to return as cases go up again, she said. But people have to go on living and to rely on others, when necessary, to help them through.

“My job,” Cavis said, “is to get people through.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica post-football game shooting: Updates on sports and security