District holds discussion on race issues

School officials, police talk with parents, students after racially tinged threats posted on social media

WEST CHESTER » Fighting racism in West Chester area schools was addressed by a group of about 120 concerned citizens during Tuesday night’s meeting at the Melton Center.

Students, parents, police, educators and the public talked race issues in the wake of seemingly racist threats posted on social media Sept. 10.

Several West Chester East High School students were individually named and threatened in an Instagram post.

A fellow student was charged the next day.

“The fact that the immediate threat has been dealt with makes for a much larger conversation,” said Dr. Jim Scanlon, West Chester Area School District superintendent.

In addition to the school’s regular two resource officers, extra police patrolled East on Sept. 11.

Scanlon said that last week’s Instagram post was not considered a “credible threat.”

Moderator, chaplain and parent Dayna Spence searched for answers.

“We want to take the time to listen — we want to hear — to listen and understand to do something,” she said.

Several parents at the meeting said that their children felt “dismissed” when they approached the school about the threats.

“I think they were overlooked because they were in the minority,” a parent said.

Some parents said they should have been notified sooner about the threats and then allowed to decide for themselves whether the threats were credible.

The mother of one student who was named in the post asked if her son was considered a target.

“I feel like the school dropped the ball,” she said.

“When we look at any of these threats we had a pretty good idea,” Scanlon said. “Our goal was to get evidence.”

The district finds out about some of the credible threats from the kids, Scanlon added.

“Parents, you need to be talking to your kids; and kids, you’ve got to be talking to parents,” Scanlon said.

Several parents said the schools should be talking more to them.

Scanlon noted that the district holds seminars and training for employees. Staffers are also meeting with students in smaller groups.

“I’m determined to make something good from something bad,” East Principal Kevin Fagan said. “We’re going to use this as a time to change for the better.”

West Goshen Township Police Chief Joseph Gleason and West Chester Borough Police Chief Scott Bohn presented detailed timelines concerning who knew what and when. The first call to police was made late Sept. 10 and the district was notified a little past 6 a.m. the next day.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA A standing-room-only audience of 120 people listened intently to a discussion of race issues in the West Chester Area School District at the Melton Center in West Chester Tuesday night.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA West Chester East High School Principal Kevin Fagan and concerned mother Dayna Spence talk about race issues in the West Chester Area School District during a meeting at the Melton Center in West Chester Tuesday night.