Warrior Nation,
This is a summary of the events that occurred on Saturday night at the high school homecoming dance.
It must be noted that over 300 students attended the event and had a great time. The event in the parking lot by a few students should not overshadow the positive and safe event that occurred in the school by well behaved students.
Over the past week, the school district has been working with the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department to complete an investigation into the unfortunate event that occurred in the parking lot during the dance. As a result, a non-Salamanca School sibling of a student has charges pending and several students are facing discipline hearings.
At approximately 10PM three high school students harassed and chased a fourth student out of the building and into the high school parking lot. Approximately 30 additional students exited the building to observe what was happening. Our school safety officer, school administrator, and school resource officer (SRO) also exited the building to manage the situation. The four students did not follow the directions given by the safety officer or the SRO. The situation escalated when the non-student sibling of the fourth student joined the skirmish and brandished a key ring knife. At this point the SRO requested assistance from local law enforcement and engaged the sibling. During this incident, that lasted about 90 seconds, a student reported the potential presence of a gun. There was no gun found at the scene nor has any gun been found or recovered. The police investigation has determined there was no gun present. There were no injuries sustained by any of the students involved in the incident.
In light of the troubling actions of a few and the disrespectful and belligerent behavior of the parents who came to the scene, the district will be implementing several additional safety measures for all student events at our schools and at Vet’s Park. It is disappointing that we must take these actions, but these measures will ensure that our students can enjoy school events in the safest manner possible. Our students deserve the ability to gather and socialize in a safe setting and the district will continue to sponsor these events. Specifically,
- Students will need to preregister for events at the school such as dances and activity nights. This will ensure the district has sufficient safety and supervisory personnel.
- Additional supervision staff, safety staff, and SROs will be present at all events.
- The district will use electronic weapon detection systems at large events, particularly those held at Vet’s Park.
- Additional lighting and surveillance cameras will be installed on the school campus and at Vet’s Park.
- Enhanced communication systems will be used by supervisors and safety personnel.
I would like to extend my gratitude for the immediate action of our security personnel, the school resource officer, and our school administrators. I also wish to thank the swift response of local law enforcement including the Salamanca Police, Seneca Nation Marshals, Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s, State Police, Park Police, and Ellicottville Police. It is very comforting to know that in a time of need, we can rely on the cooperation of multiple agencies.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mark Beehler
Superintendent