November 13, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An open letter to the Chester County School Community
Over the past several days, media outlets have reported that an eighth-grade student at
Lewisville Middle School threatened students through a drawing he made on his school work.
Understandably, these reports have raised concerns from parents and others that students in our
District are not safe and that school and District officials do not take threats against students
seriously.
These reports are inaccurate. As Superintendent, I want to set the record straight and ensure
our community that students at Lewisville Middle School and across the District are safe.
In a news station report dated November 9, 2018, the threat is described as follows: “a graphic
picture depicting him shooting another student in the head.” This report is wholly inaccurate.
The drawings in question, which were made by the student on a completed school assignment,
are not of a school nor do the drawings show an intended target or identify the student as a
shooter. According to the student, who was questioned by school administrators immediately
after his teacher brought the drawings to the administration the day after the drawings were
made, the drawings were of scenes depicting stick figures from video games the student plays
regularly. In fact, the student’s drawings contained the names of the video games in question
and school administrators confirmed the likeness of the student’s drawings to the video games.
Again, the drawings did not show the student holding a gun to another student’s head or indicate
in any way that the student intended to shoot anyone at Lewisville Middle or otherwise.
As required under state law, our School Board has adopted several policies governing how and
when school officials should notify law enforcement whenever there is threat to a student on
school grounds or at a school activity. These policies, which can be found on the District’s
website, specify when law enforcement must be contacted. Notably, before a report to law
enforcement is made, school officials assess whether there is a threat. If it is determined that
there is a potential threat, law enforcement must be notified.
In this case, school and District administrators reviewed the drawings; talked with the student’s
teacher and other adults at the school familiar with the student; talked with the student; and
talked with the student’s parent. After confirming that the drawings did not constitute a threat
and thus that law enforcement did not need to be notified, the school handled the matter
internally in accordance with state and federal law along with School Board policy.
The District has been notified that the student in question was arrested and has been charged
after the student’s teacher shared the drawings with a relative employed by law enforcement in
another county. The District will continue to monitor the status through the proper channels.
Certainly, our community should expect and demand that we, as the adults who spend hours
with our children, closely monitor students for any warning signs of violence. We have done so
consistently, and we will continue to do so.
There have been calls for SLED to investigate this incident to determine whether the District
handled its reporting obligations appropriately. The District welcomes this investigation and is
fully cooperating with SLED’s review. Our continuing commitment to students, parents, staff, and
community is to develop and implement best practices for school safety and student well-being
at all of our schools.
Thank you for your support and understanding. Student safety is a responsibility we all share. We
look forward to working with you, law enforcement, and our community as a whole to ensure
our schools provide a secure learning environment.

Respectfully submitted,

Angela Bain
Superintendent
Chester County School District