Petition Criticizes North Penn's Response To School Threats

LANSDALE, PA — North Penn School District parents and community members have launched a petition criticizing the district's response to recent threats at the middle school and calling for action.

The most recent of two threats occurred on Dec. 13, when an 8th grade student threatened to "shoot up" Pennfield Middle School, according to the Change.org petition. There was a belief that a threat also listed a number of students which were specifically targeted; however, the school district said that this is not true.

"Although we cannot comment on specific student situations, we can assure our community that school administrators and security staff work closely with local law enforcement to thoroughly investigate all school safety concerns," the North Penn School District said in part of a statement to Patch on Monday. "We engage in on-going, proactive communication with students, families, North Penn staff, and with local law enforcement to maintain safe school environments for our entire community."

The petition calls for the student to be criminally prosecuted and expelled, and cites examples of similar punishments being doled out in a Luzerne County school threat case earlier this year.

Area State Rep. Steve Malagari (D-53) expressed confidence in the district's ability to guarantee student safety.

"I have long advocated for safer communities," Malagari said in an email to Patch Monday. "Our schools are and should be an open, welcoming, and secure place for our children to learn and grow. Having regularly visited schools throughout the district, I have no doubt that school officials will address any concerns and ensure the safety of our students."

The petition also demands a revision of North Penn district policy, specifically codifying expulsion and prosecution as the response to threats of this nature.

"As concerned parents and community members, we are demanding that the following actions occur, in an effort to ensure the safety and emotional well-being of our children and the staff of the North Penn School District," the petition states.

It had a total of 59 signatures as of early Monday afternoon, and is addressed to the district, the state Department of Education, and the Montgomery County judicial system.

Editor's note: the student has now been expelled.

The full statement from North Penn School District is included below:

"The safety of North Penn School District students and staff is of utmost importance, as is communicating with our families so that they have accurate and timely information.

We recently became aware of a change.org petition regarding the safety of students at Pennfield Middle School and the discipline of students in all of our schools. Although we cannot comment on specific student situations, we can assure our community that school administrators and security staff work closely with local law enforcement to thoroughly investigate all school safety concerns. We engage in on-going, proactive communication with students, families, North Penn staff, and with local law enforcement to maintain safe school environments for our entire community.

There are numerous practices in place for families, students and community members to voice their concerns and make suggestions to administration, from Community Conversations with the Superintendent, to school board meetings to face-to-face meetings. As NPSD begins the new year, school officials will continue to work with parents in addressing their concerns so that together we can continue to be successful in protecting everyone in our schools and keeping North Penn schools safe."