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Middle school principal sends letter about incident
A letter was sent May 15 to parents of students attending Johnson-Williams Middle School in Berryville informing them that a student was “immediately removed from school property” under parental supervision after school administrators and law enforcement officials found that he was “in possession of multiple knives” and “had made specific verbal threats to two students.”The incident occurred on May 13, according to the letter, which was sent by Principal Evan Robb, who assured parents that school staff acted diligently and swiftly to maintain “a safe and orderly environment for students and staff.”
Administrators were informed about the knives by another student, Robb said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon.
In the letter, Robb said that administrators immediately “isolated” and “interviewed” the student suspected of possessing the knives and searched him and his locker. They also contacted local law enforcement and the superintendent and met with the student’s parent, the letter stated.
Noting that such incidents happen nationwide, Robb wrote in the letter, “Often this is due to a code of silence that can exist in schools.”
During the telephone interview, Robb commended the other student who alerted administrators, saying, “We had a student who did the right thing.”
In the letter, Robb wrote, “In our community we need to work together to encourage students to come forward if they have information that needs to be shared.”
“As we move forward, I ask you to reaffirm with your children that if they see or hear something inappropriate they must inform a teacher or an administrator,” he wrote.
“This incident will involve ongoing discipline both from the school and through local law enforcement,” Robb wrote.
Contact the reporter at rmarlow@timespapers.com
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