Parents want answers after Poolesville High School student arrested for 'criminal activity'
POOLESVILLE, Md. - Parents in Poolesville have questions after a student was arrested at the high school on "allegations of criminal activity" that occurred off campus, according to school officials.
A letter from the Poolesville High School principal Mark Carothers was sent to the school community on Feb. 17 in reference to the Feb. 14 arrest of a student. In the letter, Carothers said it was his intention to "alleviate some of the understandable anxiety and concern" shared by some parents regarding the safety of students.
On the morning of Feb. 14, Carothers said he was contacted by Montgomery County police regarding one of the students for whom police had secured a warrant. Though the letter does not specify what the criminal allegations are, Carothers’ letter indicates the incident happened off school grounds.
The student in question has attended Poolesville High School since been enrolled at the high school since the first day of school in August 2023. He transferred from the Alternative Education Programs at the Blair G. Ewing Center.
"His assignment to Poolesville High School was not the result of any violent crime nor were there any criminal charges or pending charges from any Montgomery County Police Department," the letter states.
Carothers’ letter goes on to say that the student was not in possession of a firearm or any other weapon at the time of his arrest, despite claims he was armed. Most parents FOX 5 spoke with were hesitant to speak with us on camera, though one stated many parents were talking about the incident online.
"Everybody’s talking about it," she said. "I’m hearing one story, yes, the transfer and what he did, or what happened allegedly."
However, without confirmation from police or the school district, parents said there are calls for more transparency. While they understand information on juvenile cases are often protected, they said they want to know what the arrest entails.
"We want to know who, what, when, and how…if they’re going to protect, like I said, the student," one parent said.
Carothers’ letter ended by stating student privacy regulations are "not a matter of arbitrary discretion but are instead firmly established by federal law".
FOX 5 reached out to the Montgomery County Police Department and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office. Spokespersons for both agencies reiterated that because the case involves a juvenile, public information is not available.
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