PREAMBLE
We, the undersigned students, staff, parents, and concerned community members, present this petition as a collective declaration of protest against the occurrences on and since October 27, 2026, which outlined crucial flaws in the security protocols of Smithtown High School West, and, ultimately, resulted in dishonesty and ambiguity from school administrators. Following this incident, both our students’ sense of safety and our community’s trust in administration have declined sharply.

GRIEVANCES
On October 27, 2026, a student possessing a firearm, as well as ammunition, entered school grounds, where the weapon went unnoticed for multiple hours. Upon discovering the firearm, the school did not enter lockdown, no announcement was made, and the community was left entirely uninformed until that evening. This failure left faculty members completely oblivious to the situation and put their physical safety at risk, as well as the safety of their students.

When addressing the security breach on the evening of October 27, parents and guardians were given only vague insight, which almost exclusively caused more anxiety and unanswered questions. 

Compounding these irrefutable errors, not only was school in session the next day, but an announcement was broadcast over the loudspeakers where the student body was told that the weapon never made it onto campus. This was overt dishonesty, which directly contradicted the established timeline of events known by much of the public already.

ACTIONABLE DEMANDS
Security Improvements: It is the first and primary objective of this petition that student safety is improved upon following this incident. Students on school grounds should expect that they are being protected by campus security measures at all times. However, it is clear by the occurrence of this incident that as of yet, security is not ensured on campus. The undersigned agree that these improvements are of the greatest importance to maintaining school safety in the future. This includes additions like an instant alert protocol which immediately notifies parents and staff about potential emergencies on school grounds in order to remove slow, vague, and dishonest communication. It should also include the implementation of metal detectors or technologies otherwise capable of sensing firearms before they enter the school building.
Administrative Accountability: The second requirement of this petition is an oath of honesty from the Smithtown Central School District executives. It is of great importance that students can trust the information they hear from their administrators. Following the dishonesty on the morning of October 28, it is imperative that any administration responsible takes accountability for this misinformation and faces disciplinary review.