‘BAG OF BULLETS’ AT LATIN ACADEMY
A “bag of bullets” was found at the Boston Latin Academy after school was let out in the latest of a string of concerning incidents at city schools.
Cops found the bag at a loading dock at the school at 1:52 p.m. Tuesday, shortly after school let out. The “bag of bullets” had assorted ammo in it, but no weapon was found, according to police.
BPS said it called the cops right away, and personnel swept the school. The district in a statement called the incident “troubling,” and said it’s informing parents and guardians.
“District and school leaders will continue to work with the Boston Police on their ongoing investigation and provide any support to the school community that may be needed,” the district said in a statement. “We’re grateful that at no time was any student or staff person in danger and we are thankful to the Boston Police and School staff who responded quickly.”
It’s been a tough run for the district lately. This comes after a bullet was found in a toilet in the Condon K-8 School in Southie last Friday. Again, no gun was found — and cops didn’t do a full sweep until after school, at the request of the administrators. That drew criticism from the local city councilors, leading the district’s hollowed-out comms office to push back.
SEIU 888, whose membership includes administrative staff in the schools, has filed a grievance taking issue with the response to the handling of the bullet situation at the Condon. The grievance centers around the lag in the K-9 search of the school at the request of the principal.
“He should have put student and worker safety first,” SEIU 888 business manager Neal O’Brien told the Herald. “There could have been live ammo or the weapon associated hidden within the school.”
In response to that, BPS said in a statement, “The incident at the Condon School is concerning. School leadership, working in close coordination with the Boston Police Department took all necessary precautions and we are grateful that no students or staff were ever in any danger.”
That came a day after someone distributed pamphlets with a large swastika and staffers’ faces on it, leading to another police report.
And all that happened over the background of a devastating nearly 200-page report earlier in the week that alleged serious wrongdoing by administrators of the Mission Hill K-8 School, where investigators say administrators brushed aside reports of serious bullying and sexual-misconduct.
This has led Superintendent Brenda Cassellius — herself on her way out the door in her last couple of months on the job — to move to close the school.
City Councilor Michael Flaherty, the chair of the public safety committee, is filing an official council records request for information on the Mission Hill situation.
“The events at several schools clearly underscore an urgent need to address safety concerns across the Boston Public School system,” he said. “We need to move forward in a way that centers students and families’ concerns about safety instead of minimizing legitimate safety concerns and issues with public relations spin.”