Gresham High School community demands better safety measures after gun scare

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Students, parents, staff and other community members connected to Gresham High School made their voices heard by demanding leadership take better safety measures following a scare last month involving a student taking a gun into school.

On Sept. 20, a 17-year-old was arrested after allegedly making gun threats to a pedestrian and then bringing the weapon into the school.

Community members were not satisfied with the response from those in charge, with some calling for new leadership.

On Wednesday night, dozens of people packed the district office to give testimony during a Gresham-Barlow School Board meeting.

"For many of us, it was the last straw of faith in our leadership at Gresham High School," said Gresham High School Student Union member Michael Neteleski about the gun incident and how it was handled.

For many who testified, it wasn't just the fact that someone had a gun on campus. Students and parents accused the district of not acting swiftly enough.

"We recognize that those who were leading did not want to escalate the situation and panic the students. However, the situation was not handled with the proper care, and the lives of the entire school were being put at risk," Neteleski said. "We need leaderships who can ensure our safety, and deal with threats in a proper, safe manner, taking into account every life in the building. Clearly, these are traits that our current administration lacks."

In particular, people accused Gresham High School Principal Erika Beddoe Whitlock of communicating poorly with community members when the incident was unfolding. Many are now questioning her competency, with some even asking for her to step down.

"It's just a lot of things that are happening at the high school level that they're not communicating very well," said Jake Fray, a Gresham parent and youth coach.

One Gresham High School junior, Jackie, remembered seeing a student taken from his fourth-period class. It was until later that he found out the student had a gun.

"It was a gun and I felt uncomfortable. I felt like I was put in a situation where I could be in danger and I'm not even aware of it," she said.

Gresham-Barlow Superintendent James Hui also responded to the uneasiness expressed by parents and students during the meeting. He said he's working on creating a forum between staff to hopefully come up with safer solutions.

"We want to let you know that the safety incident at the school is something that we continue to keep working through. And that we want to make sure that students and staff are safe," Hui said.

KOIN 6 spoke with Fray, the parent and youth coach, after the meeting. He said he hopes to "see more than just that 'we hear you' and move on."

He and many others seemed unimpressed with how the meeting went.

Parents told KOIN 6 News they hope to bring back a school resource officer so kids can feel safe but they also expressed the idea of bringing in new leadership at Gresham High School.

On Thursday, a student walkout is planned at noon to protest Gresham High School safety issues.