High School Taser Incident: Staff Committed 'Errors in Judgment'

Sleepy Hollow High School staff committed “errors in judgment” in their handling of an incident in the fall when a student was found with a taser stun gun on campus, according to the School District of the Tarrytowns Board of Education.

In a statement recently released by the board, officials said that details of the incident could be disclosed, but that staff training sessions will be implemented in the coming days and weeks to improve how such incidents are handled.

Additionally, “student discipline will be monitored on a regular basis” by the board and other district officials going forward.

No injuries were reported in the incident, but local police were not notified about it for two weeks following the discovery.

“Because this matter involves information related to a specific student and personnel issues, the Board cannot provide details except to say that the investigation indicated that errors in judgment were made and certain protocols were not followed,” the board wrote in the statement. “For that reason, staff training, and a calendar for that training, has been established and will begin after the holiday recess. In addition, student discipline will be monitored on a regular basis by the Board of Education and the district administration to assure parents and residents that the safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance.”

The board’s full statement is below:

At its meeting on November 5, the Board of Education of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns informed the public that it was initiating a full and independent investigation, conducted by its law firm, Keane & Beane, P.C., into the confiscation in mid-October of a Taser from a Sleepy Hollow High School student.

During the course of this investigation, numerous documents were reviewed, interviews were conducted and discussions took place with the Sleepy Hollow Police Department. At an executive session on December 10, the Board of Education received a verbal report and recommendations from its attorneys.

Because this matter involves information related to a specific student and personnel issues, the Board cannot provide details except to say that the investigation indicated that errors in judgment were made and certain protocols were not followed. For that reason, staff training, and a calendar for that training, has been established and will begin after the holiday recess. In addition, student discipline will be monitored on a regular basis by the Board of Education and the district administration to assure parents and residents that the safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance.

We thank the public and specifically our residents for their concerns, questions and understanding.