Former Oxford School Board members allege school failed to implement safety policies
OXFORD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) –This week will mark one year since the Oxford High School shooting, and now two former school board members have come forward saying school officials failed to implement safety policies before the deadly attack.
Former Oxford School Board president Tom Donnelly and former treasurer Korey Bailey believe administrators aren't being forthcoming with parents about the district's inaction leading up to the shooting that took the lives of four students and injured seven others.
"This board had been told over and over that the school had all the policies in place and that our team did everything right. But a bad thing still happened. If that were true, how could the shooting have happened?" Bailey said.
Both men say the school district has had a threat assessment policy in place since 2004 and was last updated in 2011.
It's a guide developed by the U.S. Secret Service on identifying and preventing school violence.
"The district certainly didn't use it as designed in the months leading up to the shooting. There's no evidence that we've ever used it as it is designed," Donnelly said.
Donnelly and Bailey resigned from the board in September, frustrated with the lack of transparency and so-called stonewalling.
"I want to be clear the board is made up of good people who wanted to do the right thing. But they weren't convinced by voices outside of our district that they needed to wait. And that coming forward would only bankrupt the district and potentially tear this community apart," Bailey said.
The Oxford School district has turned down several offers from the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to look into their actions. Instead, the district is paying a consulting firm and law firm to do so.
"The issue of with our understanding of why we were pushing the third-party review out, and we thought we were doing the prosecutor a favor. We thought we were doing the right thing. We were told that's what the prosecutor wanted us to do. And we were doing that only to find out two and a half months later. That's not what they wanted at all," Donnelly said.
Nessel said in a series of tweets the allegations aren't surprising and that her department is working with the legislature to possibly change the law, which would give her agency the authority 'to investigate school districts where evidence suggests students were not properly protected from these tragedies.'
"Why ask? Why not just come in and say, 'guys, we're taking over. We're the experts. We have the experts. We're going to tell you where you failed,'" Bailey wondered.
Dan D'Alessandro, president of the Oxford Community Schools Board of Education, released a statement Monday evening:
"At Oxford Community Schools, the safety of our students and staff has remained our number one priority. The third-party review of the events leading up to, during, and following November 30, 2021, as reported at our last board meeting, has since seen increased participation of key stakeholders. The review will help us all understand the facts and have the transparency and accountability we all deserve. We ask the public to allow this important review process to take place so the facts can be brought to light in a clear, accurate, and impartial manner.
This Wednesday, November 30, 2022, is Wildcat Remembrance Day, a time when our community will come together to remember Hana, Tate, Justin, and Madisyn, whose young lives were cut short one year ago and to grace our love upon their families and our survivors.
We encourage everyone in our community and beyond to let LOVE win this week and always. We have compiled a list on our website that is being continuously updated with activities and resources available to you, so you may spend Wildcat Remembrance Day in a way that works best for you and your loved ones – to heal, reflect, mourn, and most of all, to love. #OxfordStrong."
Later Monday night, the Oxford Community Schools shared a statement from the law firm of Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C.
"We are aware of the allegations made by former Oxford Community School Board members during today's press conference. Mr. Donnelly is correct in acknowledging that the District had appropriate safety policies in place since 2004. He also confirmed that multiple staff members received threat assessment training before the November 30 tragedy. Many of the former Board members' allegations show a misunderstanding of the facts. The details regarding the training and use of threat assessment procedures in advance of the November 30 tragedy will be discussed at length by members of the staff who implemented the policies prior to November 30, 2021. As in previous depositions, the District will fully disclose all relevant facts and procedures in the forthcoming legal proceedings."
