Incident at School Communication WWYD

[greenmonkey1]

DS1 (3rd grade) and DS2 (1st grade) go to a public K-5 elementary school.

I was reading the local police blotter on a whim and noticed one for their school.  Apparently the School Resource Officer (SRO) found a camera in a bathroom.  The blotter states the camera was found, reviewed, and "no images of concern" were located.  It also notes that the camera was found to have been placed by a student and was handed over to school admin for any disciplinary actions (so no further police involvement).

There was never any notification of parents.  I assume the camera wasn't accidentally left or there would not have been reference of potential disciplinary actions.  

Would you contact the principal and ask for clarification of the incident/district communication policy?  I know stuff is going to happen at school, but something that involves a camera in the bathroom seems like something that should go out to the parents.  I don't want to know who - but I would probably want to know where and maybe what (video versus still camera makes a huge difference) so that I can have a conversation with the boys.  

Admittedly I am not a huge fan of the principal.  The SRO is fantastic, but the principal leaves something to be desired.  As a friend of mine with kids at the school says, he's all flash and no substance.  

WWYD?

[mccallister84]

I would not expect to be contacted for something like this, unless images of my child were found on it.

[Becca]

Oct 11, 2021 8:54:28 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

I would not expect to be contacted for something like this, unless images of my child were found on it.

Agreed. If the images were viewed by law enforcement and nothing inappropriate was found, and they determined there was no reason to investigate further, then I would not expect to be notified of this.

[outnumbered]

If I was a school admin I would have communicated about the incident before it hit the police blotter. I bet they are fielding a lot of calls and emails today. As a parent I would have expected a general email about this, even with no concerning images. Just as an adult would expect notification if a camera was placed to record in their work bathroom.

[quesyrah]

Oct 11, 2021 12:04:20 GMT -5 outnumbered said:

If I was a school admin I would have communicated about the incident before it hit the police blotter. I bet they are fielding a lot of calls and emails today. As a parent I would have expected a general email about this, even with no concerning images. Just as an adult would expect notification if a camera was placed to record in their work bathroom.

I agree with this.

I found that the schools like to get in front of anything that’s going to make the gossip rounds.

So I would have expected a mass school wide email with a basic outline of what happened, leaving out anything about the individual(s) involved.

[tcu2003]

Oct 11, 2021 12:04:20 GMT -5 outnumbered said:

If I was a school admin I would have communicated about the incident before it hit the police blotter. I bet they are fielding a lot of calls and emails today. As a parent I would have expected a general email about this, even with no concerning images. Just as an adult would expect notification if a camera was placed to record in their work bathroom.

Same. Our district superintendent sends out emails to parents of the entire district when things happen that hit the news for a high school level incident (my kids are elementary aged, so I know it’s going to more than just high school parents), so for something that hit the police blotter of my kids’ school, I’d expect an FYI email from the principal.

[outnumbered]

Oct 11, 2021 10:00:15 GMT -5 mofongo said:

No I would not expect any communication regarding this, I mean what is it they need to tell you? Nothing happened.

But something did happen  even if no images were concerning.  If work found a camera in the staff bathroom I would want to know.  As a parent, I would not make it a big deal, but an FYI email should have gone out.

Dear Parent,

A recording device was found by the school SRO in the boy's bathroom on the second floor.  No concerning images were found on the device.  After investigation it was determined that this was an isolated incident.

Thank you,
Administrator Covering Their Ass

[georgeglass]

I'm a school admin. We would not have sent anything. The very generic sounding email above would have caused 800 phone calls to school demanding details and things we can't/shouldn't share. It clears nothing up and gives oxygen to rumors.

[outnumbered]

Oct 11, 2021 13:50:56 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

I'm a school admin. We would not have sent anything. The very generic sounding email above would have caused 800 phone calls to school demanding details and things we can't/shouldn't share. It clears nothing up and gives oxygen to rumors.

Good point, you can never win!  Just figured once it hits the police blotter would generate the same problems.

[georgeglass]

Oct 11, 2021 13:53:44 GMT -5 outnumbered said:

Oct 11, 2021 13:50:56 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

I'm a school admin. We would not have sent anything. The very generic sounding email above would have caused 800 phone calls to school demanding details and things we can't/shouldn't share. It clears nothing up and gives oxygen to rumors.

Good point, you can never win!  Just figured once it hits the police blotter would generate the same problems.

It's all no-win. At least the police blotter listeners are generally a smaller population and you at least got some % realizing that if there were something to share, the school would have shared it. Now, it only works if you can trust your school, which hopefully most of my parents do. Some don't, for sure, but it's easier to deal with that subset than 1,000 families.

[kershnic]

My first reaction was that I would not expect an email, although I would want to know.

The most similar thing I can think of is an incident a few years ago when a staff member brought a gun into the building of my children's afterschool program (also a daycare). The staff member did this on the weekend when the building was closed, and the gun was found in a staff only area where children would never be allowed, regardless of whether the building was open. But police were contacted, the staff member was let go, and it did make the local news. We did receive an email notice about the situation and how it was being addressed (if I remember right the state licensing people had to get involved too). I don't know whether this was triggered by the fact it made local news, or because they did fire the staff member, or because licensing was involved. Your situation sounds a bit different because no legal action was necessary.

[greenmonkey1]

So typically in our district if the police are involved and it happened in school then adult contacts are notified. And arguably something did happen and the police were involved.

For example - a couple of weeks ago there was a fight at the MS and the SRO was involved.  I know some of the kids were suspended, but there were no criminal charges.  An email went out district wide.

I was surprised to see something in the blotter of which we were not notified as it seems we get notified for everything else. If this were last year when I picked up the boys at school I would have just asked the SRO directly whether I need to talk to my boys about cameras in bathrooms. The boys take the bus this year so I don't have that opportunity for casual conversation.

[greenmonkey1]

Oct 11, 2021 13:56:19 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Oct 11, 2021 13:53:44 GMT -5 outnumbered said:

Good point, you can never win!  Just figured once it hits the police blotter would generate the same problems.

It's all no-win. At least the police blotter listeners are generally a smaller population and you at least got some % realizing that if there were something to share, the school would have shared it. Now, it only works if you can trust your school, which hopefully most of my parents do. Some don't, for sure, but it's easier to deal with that subset than 1,000 families.

In a previous life I taught high school and one time a student brought a knife to school and I wasn't notified as a teacher.  It's finding the balance as a parent that I am trying to establish.  

[isabel]

Oct 11, 2021 13:53:44 GMT -5 outnumbered said:

Oct 11, 2021 13:50:56 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

I'm a school admin. We would not have sent anything. The very generic sounding email above would have caused 800 phone calls to school demanding details and things we can't/shouldn't share. It clears nothing up and gives oxygen to rumors.

Good point, you can never win!  Just figured once it hits the police blotter would generate the same problems.

I have never read a police blotter. I would never know about an incident like this if it wasn't communicated by the school.

I also find this completely unconcerning based on the information provided and would not have expected the school to share anything.

[ECB]

I agree that this is a no-win situation. But I do think that sending out an email would absolutely result in many more calls/emails than the police blotter would. I wouldn't even know where to go to view the local police blotter - I bet MANY fewer parents would see this incident there, and in turn, MANY fewer parents would be calling/emailing.