***PLEASE KNOW THAT I NEVER HAD A SINGLE PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL PROBLEM WITH SUPERINTENDENT STEINER PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.  WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL SHOOTING THREAT WAS HANDLED, HE ANSWERED ME IN A VERY CONCERNING AND INAPPROPRIATE MANNER. *THAT* IS WHAT BROUGHT THIS CONCERN OUT AND THEN AN ENTIRE AVALANCHE OF OTHER ONGOING CONCERNS HAVE COME OUT FROM MANY PARENTS/STUDENTS ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES.***

There have been recent incidents at Northwestern Jr/Sr High School with two students making threats to "shoot up the school" and to bring the gun and shoot a specific student.  Jesse Steiner took the consequences for the potential school shooter out of the principal's hands and told me directly that this is a "good kid" and his friend's son, whom he has known since 3rd grade and that some kids never say anything and then shoot up a school, and some kids say things and don't do anything and that this kid is one of those kids.  This child received no punishment at all for this incident, while the other student received one week of in-school suspension for saying he would supply the gun and that he was going to shoot a specific student.

The school vice-principal also confirmed that Mr. Steiner's friend's son brought a knife onto school property at a football game and that it was confiscated.  He received no punishment for that either.  Last Friday, another student overhead him stating that he planned to bring a weapon to school the following week, and when the scared child talked to a friend about it, this resulted in the police being called and again, Steiner's friend's child having no repercussions while the scared student who overheard him make the threat is facing a possible charge of "inciting panic".

I have many parents/students who are willing to speak up.  Many examples of other times that Steiner has handled situations in unethical or inappropriate ways, or with extreme nepotism.  Teachers are afraid to speak up about the toxic work environment for fear of retribution.  He has called the police on students using the public baseball fields, paid for by taxes, after school hours.  He has placed a disabled student in detention for turning in another of his friend's students for bringing bullets to school and threatening to shoot her and his mother, who was a teacher.  His personnel file is riddled with inexcusable behavior, and yet this is the person entrusted to keep our children safe.

Every day that these children making violent threats continue to walk our halls with our kids is another day that may be the day they decide to make good on their fantasies.  And every single day that Jesse Steiner chooses nepotism over zero tolerance, and bullying over leading, is another day that our kids are in danger.

We must demand that he is placed on immediate leave pending a thorough and unbiased investigation.  The school board is the entity that has the power to do this and there is not time to let them investigate while children keep making domestic terrorism threats at our school.

This is not the first time Steiner has been placed on Administrative Leave.  This is a pattern and it has to stop.  Our kids are NOT SAFE under his watch. Nepotism has NO place in our schools when it comes to safety.