STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A recent string of attacks at Susan E. Wagner High School have many parents on edge.
Police say two people approached a 16-year-old boy near the football field last week and struck him in the head with a gun. The next day, many parents decided to keep their children at home.
“I suggested not to come to school for a few days and she agreed," says Lily Carbonaro. "She says, ‘Mommy I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel safe in this school.’”
On Monday, hundreds of students said enough is enough and staged a walkout to protest what they believe is ongoing violence in and around their school.
Paul Young, whose daughter says enough is enough.
“That’s unacceptable and we have to do better," Young said. "As parents, as community leaders, we have to do better.”
School leadership is vowing to do just that by holding a town hall Monday night to discuss safety protocols and announces new measures. That includes staggered release from school, more MTA buses to help ease overcrowding on sidewalks and more support from school safety agents and the NYPD.
The town hall meeting got heated at times with parents criticizing the principal for not taking action sooner.
“I see an outraged child with a knife in her hand against a school safety agent. And then to hear the principal downplay and say inside the school is safe? Inside, this school is not safe,” said one parent.
When it comes to metal detectors, Principal David Cugini says that decision cannot solely be made by him, stakeholders need to be consulted.
Parents like Young say immediate, definitive action needs to happen,
“This is not brain surgery," Young said. "We need to, as parents, PTA, school officials, school safety and perhaps the police, we could all put our heads together to come up with something that can be done.”
The Department of Education released a statement in response to the student walkout. A spokesperson said Wagner High School is working with the School Safety Division and the NYPD to address the concerns of parents and students.