On Monday, March 7th, a report of a student with a gun heading towards or on Rancho Buena Vista High School’s campus was received by the school administration between 7:20 and 7:40 AM, between 50 and 70 minutes before school was set to start. Dr. V, the school principal, made the choice to ignore the threat and not tell the teachers and students about it. Instead, he let students onto campus, knowing full well that it was dangerous, and only locked down the school at 8:24 AM. During the period when the school was supposed to be locked down, he continued to let students onto campus for close to an hour afterwards. He broke lockdown procedure by ordering the students to the field, the most open, vulnerable, least safe area on campus for a large and easily shootable crowd of students to gather during a school shooter situation, while ordering the staff to lock down safely in classrooms. Many students who were locked down safely indoors anyway were forcibly removed from lockdown and made to run across campus in the middle of a lockdown to get to the stadium, where few staff members were there to watch them. He then did not inform students what was happening and expected students to return to their classes as if nothing had happened an hour and a half later without an explanation of why the lockdown had taken place. During the lockdown, he did not inform many teachers that sheriffs would be attempting to open their locked doors and entering the classrooms without announcing their identities, causing these teachers and the students who had managed to remain inside these classrooms for a proper lockdown to believe that an active shooter was about to come into their room and kill everyone inside. Afterwards, he promised that many sheriffs would be on campus to help students feel safer, but only two seriffs were seen and these two were only seen out of his office while eating lunch.

In spite of the enormous backlash from teachers, parents, and students alike, Dr. V refused to acknowledge his mistakes and only offered a direct apology a week later on Rancho Roundup, an informal newsletter sent primarily to parents and not to students. When faced with criticism, he ranted to students who met with him about cancel culture and turned off the comments on the school’s Instagram page. He has spent the time since the lockdown downplaying what happened, hiding away in his office, and offering belligerent comments to classrooms.

Through his actions on the Monday lockdown, Dr. V has proven that he does not care about the well being of students at this school and is only concerned with his own reputation and ego. He does not and should not represent this school. While he was hiding safely away in his office, the real Longhorns were frightened for their lives on an open field or in nearly empty classrooms. RBV seniors will be graduating in June and it is customary for the RBV principal to deliver a speech at the graduation ceremony. On behalf of the seniors at this school, WE DO NOT WANT DR. V TO SPEAK AT OUR GRADUATION. He has time and time again proven that he has no respect for us and does not deserve a place in such an important celebration for hardworking RBV students. I do not want my graduation tarnished by having to listen to a man who sent us like lambs to the slaughter wax poetic about how he loves our class. Whether that space in the ceremony is left unfilled or a student or teacher fills it, it does not deserve to be taken up by a man with no concern for our well being. The class of 2022 has worked hard to get to this point in our educational careers and he does not deserve to share in our accomplishments. Sign this petition to pressure RBVHS to open up that spot in the 2022 graduation ceremony to someone who actually represents our class and deserves to be there!