Well, it's been
quite a day for Otsego County online. First the Strategic Plan is
posted (see below), and then a confidential issue that the Board, and
specifically the Public Safety and Legal Affairs Committee, has been
working on since January, appears online as well.
The article is
pretty accurate – although there is always a lot that is not
objective enough to publish – and the whole incident is pretty
frightening. And there's more to come – most importantly, the
disposition of the case and the consequences for the individuals
involved. Make what you will of it.
I have to make it
clear to my constituents that, during the first (of many) extensive
executive session during which the Board first heard of this
incident, I insisted a number of times that the Superintendents of
the school districts that were threatened be notified immediately. I
had great confidence that they would use the information wisely and
serve as partners in this issue. It is my memory – I did not take
notes – that I was assured, as we were adjourning, that one of the
investigations that had been discussed would include notification of
the schools. This did not happen.
I believe that this
was a mistake. One of Oneonta's elementary schools is in my
district, another is down the street. Colleagues who I respect and
admire work there, and my neighbors send their children there. This
was a very specific threat, and a terrible one. The individual was
not put under surveillance or supervision; he still had access to his
extensive personal armory. The Superintendents deal with this kind
of threat occasionally, and are professionals. They are responsible
for the safety of their staff and students. To leave them out of the
loop was, I believe, misguided.
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