See something, say NOTHING
This is the letter that Alief Superintendent Henry David Chambers Jr. sent out on May 18, 2018 about the shooting that took place at Santa Fe High School last academic school year.
“If you see or hear disturbing behavior, comments, writings, or drawings either in person or on social media, please SAY SOMETHING. Report it to a colleague, principal, administrator, or police officer.”
“Encourage your students to be observers and to SAY SOMETHING if they witness suspicious texts, social media posts, videos, comments or behaviors from fellow students or individuals. Let them know that by doing so, they are protecting their Alief family and that they could help save a life!”
Fast forward to this Sunday, September 30, 2018 and the same Alief Superintendent, Henry David Chambers Jr., found out that one of his Alief students made a terroristic threat on Instagram about shooting up Alief Hastings High School, and Superintendent Chambers did NOTHING. Alief ISD allowed the young man to wait at the school bus stop the following Monday morning with his fellow classmates, which put all of their lives in danger. Alief ISD allowed the young man to ride on the school bus the following Monday morning, to school with his fellow classmates, which put all of their lives and the life of the bus driver in danger. Alief ISD allowed the young man to enter into Hastings High School grounds the following Monday morning, with his fellow classmates, staff, and visitors, which put all of their lives in danger. The young man was kept at school the entire day, according to an Alief Hastings parent.
Further adding insult to the districts lack of action, Alief ISD DID NOT send any letters home to parents, nor did they send out any emails, or Robo calls to parents, instead the district posted something on Twitter. Are we to assume that seeing something and saying something does not apply to Alief ISD saying anything to the parents, students, and staff of the district?
This is infuriating beyond belief. The lack of leadership, transparency and willful non communication or misleading communication with our community is unacceptable.
Alief ISD did not file a police report with the Houston Police Department (HPD), so that the district could try and control the narrative of the incident to the public and prevent the community from making an open records request concerning the incident. The young man who made the terroristic threat on his Instagram account was sent home after being at school all day, and before both of my children arrived home from their Alief ISD campuses, around 3pm the young man was on his Instagram account publicly posting about his day, “I’m not allowed at any alief school or any alien (typo) bus,” with a picture of himself AT HOME, which means that the young man was not arrested.
It is time for our community to see something and say something to the TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY (TEA) and begin to hold Alief ISD and their handpicked leadership teams accountable for our children safety and education, our tax money, and our community at large.
Alief ISD School Board Elections are in November of 2019; make sure that you get your voices heard at the polls.