[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Information on Today's Incident

[BHS etree]

Dear BHS Families:

At roughly 3:15 p.m. a witness came into the main office and reported
seeing suspicious activity by a group of individuals possibly possessing a
weapon on Milvia Street across from our campus. Based on this information
I made the decision to lockdown our campus immediately. In the wake of
recent incidents I will take no risks where student safety is concerned.
Calling a lockdown brings about great anxiety and stress for all staff and
students and parents but given the circumstances our response was the only
appropriate response. The Berkeley Police Department was notified
immediately and the perimeter of the campus was closed. Teachers were
notified to lock their doors and draw window shades where it was safe to
do so. 

The individuals described by the witness were spotted by safety staff
heading southbound on Milvia Street near Channing. Safety staff maintained
surveillance of the individuals, and all campus staff held our lockdown
positions as the individuals were detained by BPD on Martin Luther King
Jr. Way. 

No weapons were recovered following an extensive search and questioning.
We were soon after able to end the lockdown and resume our normal schedule
just before dismissal.

Two of the four individuals detained were BHS students, with another being
an Independent Study student and a fourth student was from B-TECH.  A
thorough investigation is being conducted by administrative staff even
though a weapon was not recovered and no arrests were made. 

Obviously we want to respond to any potential threats to student safety in
a quick and thoughtful way. While we had planned to practice a lockdown
with students and staff tomorrow we will use the process that was
unfortunately thrust upon us today as a basis to review our protocols and
responses in emergency situations. The safety of your kids is and always
will be our top priority and we will put every resource we have into
making sure that they are safe here at school. 

I am deeply saddened at the manner in which the events of the past several
days have negatively impacted the climate of our school; it troubles me to
know that many of our students and families have had to be preoccupied
with physical safety rather than be preoccupied with the huge positives
that occur on our campus each day.  I still hold firmly to the fact that
almost all of the nearly 3,300 students who attend BHS show up every day
in a positive and productive way. 

We were fortunate today in that no weapon was discovered and while I
acknowledge that the process we initiated was stressful for staff and
students, we believe that our response was warranted. 

Any individual bringing a weapon on to campus or around campus will be
arrested and recommended for expulsion. I have said repeatedly in the last
several days that as educators we will meet a young person no matter where
they are or how hard they are struggling; the exception to this is a
student or individual who brings a weapon on or around our campus. This is
a non-negotiable and is the one sure way an individual will forfeit our
support. Ours is a community of learning and creativity and individuals
who selfishly put that community in jeopardy by bringing weapons to school
are not welcome at BHS.

Please take a moment to debrief this situation with your kids. It would be
helpful to us if you reviewed the very basic but essential things we need
them to know if we ever have to initiate a lockdown again. Review with
them, as we did today, that if they are outside their classroom, out on a
hall pass, passing period, etc. they are to proceed to the nearest safe
space, an office, classroom, etc. The student's job in this situation is
to get to the nearest safe space possible and not necessarily to their
assigned classroom. 

Secondly, please help us emphasize to students that we will only initiate
a lockdown if we feel that there is a tangible threat to their safety. We
expect them to remain in their classrooms or safe spaces until we end the
lockdown and to cooperate with teachers as well as be attentive to
announcements and information that will enhance their safety.

I truly understand how these incidents have frightened and concerned you.
Please know that we understand the emotional impact these incidents have
on families and we are working harder than ever to make our campus safe
and secure. 

Respectfully,

Pasquale Scuderi
Principal
Berkeley High School
(510) 644-6120