A concerned mother in the local community has made the difficult decision to move her children in and out of Lawrence Public Schools in just one semester due to various incidents that have put their safety and well-being at risk. The most recent incident that prompted this action was the district’s mishandling of a threat made against her son.
“I was absolutely furious,” expressed Samantha Cole. “The principal’s choice of words and handling of the situation completely appalled me.”
At the start of the year, Cole’s son and two daughters made the switch to Lawrence High School from Ottawa.
During school on Tuesday, Cole’s son, a freshman at LHS, received disturbing Snapchat messages from another student. The messages contained a chilling demand for him to end his own life, accompanied by a disturbing promise to provide a gun.
In response, Cole’s son courageously asked for clarification and assured the student that he was not afraid. However, the student menacingly warned him to be wary of what might happen on Thursday.
Cole’s son became alarmed and immediately sent screenshots to his mother. Concerned, she quickly called the school office while on her way there.
“I rushed up to the school as fast as I could, getting dressed in a hurry,” Cole exclaimed.
According to Cole, LHS Principal Quentin Rials informed her that the school intended to take disciplinary action against the other student, although it had not done so at that point. Cole mentioned that the student in question had a history of misconduct.
As for involving the police, Cole opted not to do so personally as the school resource officer assured her they were handling the matter.
On the last day of school before the holiday break, Cole’s son had three more final exams to complete. Rials made the decision to isolate her son in a locked room while he took his tests.
We sent questions regarding the incident to Rials and district spokesperson Julie Boyle via email. Unfortunately, Rials did not provide a response. In Boyle’s email reply, she did not address the question regarding Rials’ reasoning behind isolating Cole’s son.
In a response on Friday afternoon, Boyle stated that LHS administrators and Lawrence police had thoroughly investigated the report on Tuesday. After conducting a detailed follow-up with the students involved and their families, it was concluded that the threat was deemed noncredible. Rials was also copied on Boyle’s response.
According to Boyle, the board took disciplinary action in line with their policy, but the specific details of the action remain confidential. As of Friday evening, Cole stated that she had not received any updates regarding the matter.
During their phone conversation on Wednesday, Rials expressed to Cole that “Your son’s intuition would alert him if something seemed amiss, and he would then need to visit the office,” Cole recalled.
“I was completely blown away by the idea of intuition,” she exclaimed. “You’re trying to say that all school shooters had poor intuition? That’s incredibly insensitive.”
Boyle did not address the question about whether Rials made that statement or what he intended by it in her email response.
Cole explained that her son was acquainted with the student who sent the messages, but they were not personally acquainted, and her son had no knowledge of the motive behind the threats. They did not share any classes together, and their only interaction was limited to passing each other in the hallways, according to Cole.
In a Facebook group dedicated to Lawrence, Cole shared a post on Wednesday afternoon that immediately attracted a significant amount of attention.
During their subsequent phone conversation, Rials informed Cole that numerous worried parents had been contacting the school, requesting to withdraw their children from classes due to her post. Rials requested Cole to remove her post, but she declined. Boyle did not provide a response when asked about this matter.
Cole expressed her disappointment with the way LHS administrators handled the recent surge in gun threats and rumors, especially in light of the ongoing issue of school shootings in other communities.
Cole emphasized the tragic consequences of not treating situations like this seriously, stating, “We have children and teachers who are no longer with us because we failed to prioritize their safety.”
Cole mentioned that she had already withdrawn her daughters from the Lawrence school district due to an unsafe incident involving the police. However, the family has chosen not to disclose the specifics of that situation publicly.
She mentioned that her request to transfer back to Ottawa had been approved, and she also shared the news that her son will be starting school there in January.
Ensuring safety remains the district’s utmost priority, Boyle emphasized.
In an email statement, she emphasized the importance of taking swift action in response to emerging issues, conducting thorough investigations in collaboration with the Lawrence Police Department, and following up with appropriate measures such as threat assessment, home visits, and disciplinary procedures as outlined in Board policy and state law. These consistent practices are implemented in all of our schools to address concerns related to student safety.
In an email sent to LHS families on Wednesday afternoon, Rials reassured them that the administration and school resource officer had thoroughly investigated the situation and confirmed the safety of their students.
Ending the email on a positive note, he expressed gratitude for a productive day at school, highlighting the engaging activities and valuable learning opportunities provided to the students.
