Middle school student disciplined after bringing gun to school

A Kettering Middle School student is facing expulsion after admitting to bringing a BB gun to school last week.

The student was given a 10-day suspension with recommendation for expulsion, Kettering City Schools Superintendent Scott Inskeep said Wednesday.

Inskeep said the district was made aware of the incident on Monday, after a middle school student reported to a school administrator that another student had brought the weapon to school.

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Inskeep said the student who reported the incident helps to keep situations like this and worse, from escalating.

“It was great, we appreciate that. I think all of us know that’s one of the best deterrents is students or adults letting us know so we can thoroughly investigate anything like this,” Inskeep said.

Once alerted, principals, along with the district’s school resource officer and the Kettering Police Department immediately conducted a “thorough” investigation and began questioning a number of students, Inskeep said.

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During the course of the investigation, which concluded Tuesday, the student admitted to bringing the BB gun to school in a book bag Friday, March 31. The district wasn’t notified of the incident until Monday, when the investigation was launched, according to Inskeep.

The student who brought the gun did not seem to have any intentions on hurting anyone in the school, Inskeep said. He could not give a reason why the student had the BB gun.

District policies calls for the superintendent, at his or her discretion, to expel a student from school for up to one year for bringing a firearm on school grounds or to any district-sponsored event.

“Look-alike” items are included in the prohibition.

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Certain factors — like prior disciplinary record or being unaware they were in possession of a firearm — allow for the superintendent to reduce the expulsion period if they choose to.

He would not elaborate on the student’s possible past misconduct.

Parents of the student who brought the weapon to school have the option to appeal the discipline.

The district uses school resource officers and security officers for safety measures. None of the schools use any form of metal detectors as preventative measures. Inskeep said the district will always investigate cases as fast as possible to prevent similar situations from happening.

“Anytime we become aware of something, we’re going to investigate it thoroughly,” Inskeep said. “Safety and security of our kids is paramount and the very first thing we care about. What happened Friday, no adult or student knew about.”

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Jen Barlow, who has a sixth grade student at Kettering Middle School, said she’s concerned about the amount of time that passed between the school being alerted and parents being made aware.

“I’m worried about how it was contacted to me as a parent,” Barlow said. “I want to know why I wasn’t alerted by the school and why my kid’s safety at the school was not first.”

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Information was sent out to Kettering Middle School parents Tuesday evening at the conclusion of the investigation. Inskeep said the district waited to alert parents until after the investigation was completed because “it would have been inaccurate information.”

“It was not full,” he said. “Had someone let us know Friday, it would have been handled immediately. Once we felt like we had come to resolution, as well as having meetings with the child and the parent, then we could communicate that throughout the building.”

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