Girl Walking Home From Farmingdale School Approached By Man: District

FARMINGDALE, NY — A Howitt Middle School student reported that she was approached by an older man as she walked home from school on Wednesday afternoon, the Farmingdale School District told the community in a letter obtained by Patch.

The girl was walking on Secatogue Avenue around 2:50 p.m. when a man approached her and said, "Do you play sports, because you look like you have a body for it," said Samuel M. Thompson, assistant to the superintendent for administration, in the letter.

The man was described as in his 60s, around 5-feet, 5-inches tall with gray hair and facial hair, and wearing a sports shirt or jersey.

"Farmingdale continues to be a safe place to live and work," Thompson wrote. "However, it is always a good idea to periodically review safety concerns with your children. Whether walking to and from school, riding their bikes or going to the park, it is extremely important that we teach our children to be aware of their surroundings at all times in order to keep themselves safe. We ask that you have a conversation with your children about not talking with strangers and insist that they bring any concerns they might have to an adult in school or at home as soon as possible."

The district gave some tips for parents looking to discuss stranger interactions:

• Teach your children that if anyone bothers them or makes them feel scared or uncomfortable, to trust their feelings and immediately get away from that person. Teach them that it is okay not to be polite and IT IS OKAY TO SAY NO.
• Teach your children to never talk to or accept gifts from strangers.
• Teach your children that grownups should NOT ASK CHILDREN FOR DIRECTIONS; they should ask other adults.
• Teach your children never to approach a vehicle and NOT TO ACCEPT A RIDE from anyone unless you have said it is okay in that instance. If anyone follows them in a vehicle, they should turn around, go in the other direction, and run to a trusted adult who may help them.

"Thank you in advance for your kind attention to this matter and for working with us to keep our children safe," Thompson said.