I am a student at The Beacon School in NYC, and it is deeply personal to me that we ensure the safety of every student here. Unfortunately, our current interim acting principal, Johnny Ventura, has repeatedly failed to prioritize this crucial aspect of his role. There have been numerous instances where decisions made by I.A. Principal Ventura have put Beacon students and staff at risk. The most recent incident was last week, where a student made threats to shoot up our school and made terrifying racist statements via bathroom graffiti, including swastikas. The police were not called in until hours after the graffiti was found. The only reason that NYPD was called in was because the custodian tasked with the graffiti removal decided to make the call himself! This pattern cannot continue.

NY Time article on the incident: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/nyregion/racist-graffiti-swastikas-beacon-high-school.html?unlocked_article_code=1.b00.RJY_.ktpjudbdItGG&smid=nytcore-android-share

In New York City alone, there are over 1 million students attending public schools. Every one of us deserve a safe learning environment - something that our interim principal has failed to provide time and time again.

The situation has become so dire that parents are afraid for their children's wellbeing while they're at school. Many parents, even parents of seniors, did not send their kids to school on Friday. This fear is not unfounded as studies show that a safe environment is essential for students' academic success and mental health (source: American Psychological Association).

We need a leader who understands the importance of student safety and acts accordingly. We demand an immediate change in leadership at Beacon to ensure students, teachers and staff are protected as they should be.

Please sign this petition if you believe Johnny Ventura has failed us as students, that he's failed Beacon as a whole and needs to be immediately replaced. He can't continue on in such an important role. Every day he is in charge is another day where we are at risk.