Safety summit at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School focuses on recent fights, crime
Parents voice safety concerns at B-CC High School community meeting
Parents, students, school leaders, and even county officials met inside Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Monday for what one parent described as a "much needed" meeting. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu spoke to parents and county leaders inside the school's cafeteria.
BETHESDA, Md - Parents, students, school leaders, and even county officials met inside Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Monday for what one parent described as a "much needed" meeting.
"We’ve had a lot of in-school fighting, student on student or student on administrator," said Emily Grossi, executive board member of the B-CC Parent Teacher's Student's Association.
There have also been carjackings, recent lockdowns, and this brawl involving students after a football game at the Bethesda Metro Station back in September.
"When you have that, how do kids learn? How do teachers feel safe? How do educators feel good?"
These are the questions Grossi and other parents asked leaders at the safety and security meeting inside B-CC's cafeteria.
"There was a fight on Jan 3rd, the first day back at school, and then it took a full 48 hours for the principal to send out any information," Grossi recalled.
No criminal charges for students involved in Bethesda-Chevy Chase vs. Walter Johnson High School brawl
None of the students involved in the brawl after the Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson High School football game last Friday have been charged criminally, according to a joint letter released Wednesday by Montgomery County's superintendent of schools and police chief. However, the criminal investigation is ongoing.
How the district communicates with families after these incidents is a huge concern for some parents who say something has to change.
"I’m glad that Councilman [Will] Jawando is here because I’m hoping that somebody above and beyond MCPS will actually start to listen," Grossi said.
Councilmember Jawando is the chair of the county’s education and culture committee.
"Our kids are our most important treasures," he told FOX 5 Monday. "We’ve put more money into school security officers, and we are going to do that again."
All clear at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School after lockdown due to 'police activity'
Bethesda Chevy Chase High School was on lockdown Monday afternoon due to "police activity in the area," officials say.
The council member also mentioned that the county is working around the clock to make sure children in the district are safe.
"I think the whole thing is broken," Grossi said. "I do blame her [MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight] because she’s the leader but at the same time I don’t blame her wholly."
Dr. McKnight said the school board has asked her to resign.
"It’s the school board's decision as to who they want to lead the system," Jawando explained. "We have to make sure we are doing the best for all of our students. If they think they need a new leader, they should say why and move in that direction. It should be a transparent process."
Grossi told FOX 5 before the event ended that this is a county that people move to specifically for the quality public school education, but now she’s reconsidering if her other children will finish here.
Councilmember Jawando said he doesn’t believe that’s a full representation of how parents feel. He plans to work with district leaders on allocating funding for student support services – like restorative justice – in the upcoming budget.