Lowell Lockdown Incident Raises Some Questions
Earlier today this happened (this from SPS Office of Public Affairs):
Today, a group of fourth-grade students from Lowell Elementary on Capitol Hill went on a field trip that involved walking to and from Cal Anderson Park, where they went ice skating. The students were accompanied by teachers and parents. As the group was returning from the field trip, at approximately 3 p.m., Lowell staff learned that one of the parents might be a criminal suspect wanted by police. A teacher at the school called 9-1-1.
When the students returned from the field trip, they were escorted inside the school and the Lowell Elementary principal placed the school on lockdown to ensure the safety of all Lowell students. The suspect did not enter the school. When police arrived, the suspect fled the scene.
Students were allowed to leave the school after being escorted onto buses, or if they were picked up by their parents, but the remaining students stayed at the school under lockdown until police determined the suspect was no longer in the area. At that point, after roughly 90 minutes, the lockdown on the school was lifted and students were allowed to leave.
All students are safe, and Principal Gregory King commended staff and family members for their quick response and calm actions.
The safety and security of our students and staff is a primary concern. Each Seattle school is expected to conduct a WATCH (Washington Access to Criminal History) check on all parent volunteers. It appears that there was a miscommunication in the building today. The parent was not cleared to chaperone.
We are conducting an investigation into how this parent was allowed to participate in the field trip.
According to KOMO-tv, the parent who spotted him works for the Department of Corrections. Scary:
Investigators believe the parent spotted Donald Vasser, who is considered armed and dangerous. The DOC issued an arrest warrant for Vasser on Nov. 28 when his community corrections officer found alcohol in his home -- a violation of his community supervision.
Vasser's criminal record includes nine prior felonies, eight of which are drug-related. He was released in February 2011 after serving five years for a drug conviction.
It is unclear what "not cleared to chaperone" meant. Did he go through the volunteer process and they found his multiple felonies? A worry for every school.
Comments
>the whole vending machine debacle, where the district never paid ASB back,
>the downtown HQ lack of fund tracking
>America's Most Wanted as chaperone
Today's outrage and the Vending Machine story are national headlines.
I swear I'm going to give up on this district. I really am. I get messages from OUT OF STATE people, for god's sake, aghast at the reputation of SPS. Enough.
disgusted and disillusioned
Another so what list as far as any change in direction goes.... Watch how many will still clamor for more Enfield and talk about improvement.
Remember the constant barrage of bad news during the weeks before Board elections. Yet two incumbents returned to office.
Your list really only has one major item ... the $54 million deficit at JSCEE .... small potatoes on the SPS bad news scale.
I do not think the Lowell incident is one of huge district neglect.... How big an investigative process are field trip chaperones to undergo? ... just asking.
I know of few schools that keep good track of volunteer/chaperones- perhaps this will give them impetus to do so.
What a messed up world
Disgusted Too
Exactly what I was thinking. I'm not saying the guy is a good person overall, nor that he should be chaperoning an elementary school field trip, but there are a lot of kids without even one parent around that cares enough to try to spend time like that with their kid. It's just a sad situation, especially for the kid.
Emeraldkity said: notice that charges were all drug related- not violent- & he did turn himself in.
The Q13 report called him: high-violent offender and dangerous gang member wanted in King County -- boasting over 20 arrests and convictions, including obstructing law enforcement, assaulting an officer, burglary and harassment.
And the KIRO report called him: hardened, violent criminal
So I'm not sure where you found your info, but it definitely doesn't agree with their reports. I do agree that it's worth noting that he did turn himself in without issue, and iirc from reading last night that his current warrant was for not checking in.
While it sounds like a relatively benign violation, we have no idea if he is a person that becomes violent after drinking. And no way to know if he used the bottle to gain courage to join up on the field trip.
Not to disparage this man, but there are many unknowns, and if having possession of alcohol is a violation of his probation, it sounds like that is a significant problem in his life.
I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more details in the coming weeks, given the widespread media coverage.
It's fairly easy to check this stuff for yourself - he does have 9 felonies - all are on drug related charges. The "violent" part was all directed at police - so I seriously doubt there was any danger to the kids here - which doesn't excuse anything - I just think it got blown a bit out of proportion to the situation at hand.
What if he had a gun and had seen an old enemy while on the field trip? Still a good idea to have him around?
Yes, this kind of thing was on my worry list as well. As much as I like the fact that he wanted to spend time with his kid, there are huge worries. Even if we believed he's completely turned a new leaf, when you're in (or were in) a gang you bring danger to anyone around you.
dj said: Dw, "no alcohol" is a pretty standard community supervision provision, or at least it was when I was in practice.
Got it. So it might be a big problem, or not, we really don't know. Thanks for the info.
Key Figure in Seattle Schools Scandal Pleads Not Guilty
What if the person has a criminal history?
Having a criminal history does not automatically mean a person cannot volunteer. It does, however, call for more information and a more substantial screening process. It is important that the person is upfront, either in conversation or on their Screening Form, about their criminal history before we “discover” it on our own.
Generally, if someone has a criminal history involving crimes against children, they should not be working with our students. In those cases, we recommend that you inform them over the phone or by other means that are not face-to-face or else that you are in the presence another appropriate staff person.
If the offenses are not crimes against children, the Principal will need to decide if this person is safe to work with our students. This can depend on the nature of the crime, how long ago it took place, what the person has done since then, checks with references, and the school’s ability to provide a level of supervision that decreases the risk this person might pose to our students. Currently there are not district guidelines addressing this issue. Judgment is left up to the principal. In cases that warrant more information on liability issues, the principal can contact the Seattle Schools General Counsel Office.
I was under the assumption that felony convictions would preclude a parent from volunteering directly with students, but the manual suggests otherwise. Pretty surprising.
FYI
Sometimes easy to do justice, harder to do right
Just looking for balance here
It's sad for the kids. Especially the daughter of "the most wanted." I'm sure she can use all the support she can get right now.
There are a lot of corporate criminals in this world. Directly and indirectly, mostly through greed, their actions cost many lives. Time for the swat teams to swoop down on them. Time for us to respond to them just as dramatically and concerned.
tired of hypocrisy
Chaperone