Parents, staffers raise safety questions after middle school student stabbed 2 teachers' aides
PHILADELPHIA - 24 hours after Philadelphia police say a student stabbed two teachers' aides in school, despite a metal detector, parents, staffers and the teacher's union all have important safety questions left to be answered.
Ashley Samuel says she kept her eighth-grade daughter home from Castor Garden Middle School Wednesday, and may even explore virtual learning, a day after two teachers’ aides were stabbed by a student, according to Philadelphia Police.
"I really don’t think the kids should be here or the staff should be here," she says. "What’s going to be done for the kids to be safe in school? What was done? There’s nothing done."
Police said on Tuesday, the student pulled a knife out of his bag and as the aides went to unarm him, he cut them. A 63-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital with a cut to her side, and a 31-year-old woman was cut on the arm.
School officials say both women were treated and are recovering. Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President, Arthur Steinberg, says one of the women is a member. He spoke with her and said she was "remarkably calm" given the circumstances.
Teachers' aides stabbed by student at Philadelphia middle school: police
Two people were injured, and a person was taken into custody after a stabbing erupted inside a middle school in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.
"This incident really should not have occurred, it’s due to really an epic administrative failure at the school level, the details that I have received from our members are pretty disturbing," says Steinberg.
Steinberg says he would not get into too many details as he wanted to give Superintendent Tony Watlington time to react and respond to the concerns he raised.
However, during the PFT’s Wednesday afternoon press conference, he did confirm the student was able to get through the school’s metal detector with a knife. A source tells FOX 29 there have been on-going concerns of no staffing at that metal detector.
Additionally, Steinberg says there was no lockdown announcement immediately made, but a paraprofessional, Rasheima Hainey, who returned to school today, went door-to-door to tell teachers to lock their doors, Steinberg says, as the student looked for others to stab.
"She put herself at great risk and I’m sure saved countless lives and injuries," he says.
Current Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, formerly Chief of School Safety for the district, tells FOX 29’s Kelly Rule, the metal detectors at the middle school would not have detected the knife brought in by the student on Tuesday. He says the detectors were installed after the start of the pandemic, due to the increase of guns they were seeing on school properties.
Steinberg says he’s hopeful the district hears them.
"I’m hopeful. I can’t stay I’m confident," he says. "If they do not, you’ll be back here again, because I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops."
The School District of Philadelphia released the following statement late Wednesday afternoon:
"On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, an incident occurred at Castor Gardens Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia. A student injured two employees with a knife. Fortunately, both teachers were treated and are recovering."
The School District of Philadelphia is focused on the safety and well-being of the entire school community. The student did pass through a minimally-invasive gun detection technology when he entered the building, the device is set up to detect firearms. The Office of School Safety will evaluate safety measures across the District."
Philadelphia Police are working closely with the Office of School Safety, district leaders, and the parents of the student to investigate and understand all of the circumstances surrounding this incident.