Importance of Prioritizing Mental Health and School Safety
The recent shooting at East High School is a tragic reminder of the urgent need to prioritize mental health and ensure that our schools are safe spaces for everyone, including our educators. No teacher or student should ever have to fear going to school, and we must work together to address the root causes of violence and create a culture of safety and support.
My thoughts are with the two school administrators who were shot, and I am praying for their swift and full recovery. I understand that this situation has deeply impacted them and their loved ones, and I am committed to advocating for the resources and support they need to heal and move forward.
It is time for us to come together as a community and take concrete action to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future. We must prioritize mental health resources, address systemic issues like gun violence, and create a culture of safety, empathy, and respect in our schools and communities.
We failed Austin. The recent tragedy at East High School serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of addressing the mental health crisis among our youth.
Regardless of Austin’s actions, we have lost another student to suicide. A mother and father have lost a child, and my heart goes out to them in their time of unimaginable grief. It is crucial to remember that Austin was a human being, and the horrible comments about him are not acceptable. Our city and public school system failed him, and we must take responsibility for our part.
As a community, we must come together to create a culture of compassion, empathy, and understanding. We must prioritize mental health resources and provide our students with a safe and supportive environment. It is time for us to take a hard look at the systemic issues that contribute to mental health struggles among our youth and work towards solutions that will prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.
I am grateful that Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas has acknowledged that a Denver Police Officer would not have patted down Austin. However, as Chief Thomas has pointed out, it is not the role of police officers to conduct searches on students in Denver Public Schools, and that responsibility falls on the school.
This recognition is important in ensuring that our schools remain safe spaces for all students. By clarifying the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement and school personnel, we can work towards a more effective and supportive system that prioritizes the well-being of our students.
I hope that moving forward, we continue to see a decrease in the number of referrals to law enforcement. We can not pivot back to a system that did not work for 80% of the students that we serve. I hope that over the next few months, we can re-imagine policing in our schools and humanize the role of armed police in schools. I hope that the Denver Police will adhere to the request from the Board of Education, which was: “The Board of Education will request that the Denver Police Department ensure every armed police officer is appropriately trained in the use of firearms, de-escalation techniques, policing in a school environment, knowledgeable of the school community they intend to serve, and skilled in community policing.”
I look forward to the Mayor providing the necessary funding to support the return of armed police to schools along with the requested mental health professionals.
Finally, I hope this week will encourage members of Congress, the State Legislature, the Mayor, and the City Council to actually do something to keep our communities safe, as the jurisdiction of the School Board only goes so far.
Auon’tai M. Anderson, Vice President of the Denver School Board
