A 14-year-old New Hyde Park Memorial High School student was arrested Wednesday morning after he was found with a BB gun and a multipurpose folding knife at school, police and school officials said.
School officials said the weapons were secured, no injuries occurred and “at no time were students or staff in immediate danger.”
“The student will face appropriate disciplinary actions in accordance with our code of conduct in addition to any legal implications surrounding the circumstances,” the Sewanhaka Central High School District said in a statement. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We take any potential threat seriously and act in partnership with law enforcement to ensure a swift and appropriate response.”
It is against school policy to bring weapons, including replicas, to school buildings.
The male student was arrested at the high school by Nassau County Police Officers at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 19 after school officials contacted the department once they were alerted to the weapons on school grounds. He is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon by a person under 16.
The student has since been released and is set to appear in New York Family Court. The district declined to respond to questions on whether the student had been suspended and when he would return to school if allowed to do so.
Parents expressed concerns over the district’s initial communication over the incident, calling it vague, unclear and anxiety-inducing.
“We have heard your concerns about how we communicated this incident to you,” Superintendent Regina Agrusa wrote in an email to district families. “We understand that you felt the initial message did not adequately convey the seriousness of the situation or provide sufficient detail.”
She said the district would be “strengthening” and “reviewing” its crisis communication protocols.
Some parents also said the district should increase security protocols to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.
The district declined to respond to questions on whether it is considering altering its policies. Agrusa’s email to parents suggested families should work to prevent similar instances by speaking with their children.
“We want to emphasize prevention,” Agrusa’s email read. “We ask families to speak openly with their children about the seriousness of bringing any prohibited item to school. Encourage your children to share concerns, report what they see or hear, and make safe choices. If your child is facing challenges or needs support, please reach out to our counseling team.”
Other nearby districts, like Herricks, have recently installed metal detectors in their school buildings.
Agrusa told parents the school “remains secure” after Wednesday’s incident.
“While this situation is serious, I want to reassure you that our schools remain secure. The safety and well-being of every person in our schools remains our highest priority,” the email to parents continued. “School safety is a shared responsibility. Working together, we can continue to foster a culture where safety is expected, supported and maintained.”
