Officials at Tates Creek High School confirm a third gun was found on school property Monday.
This is the third incident in twelve days. In this instance, a truant student was picked up by police and transported to school. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers at the school searched the student and discovered a gun on his person.
Security guards discovered the last two guns on the school’s campus as well. The students were both charged in those cases. The most recent incident occurred on November 9.
A special meeting will be held for parents who are concerned about the recent incidents involving guns at the school. It will be held Wednesday, November 16th at 6:00 p.m.
Here is a copy of the letter sent to parents from the principal:
Dear Tates Creek High School Families:
I want to begin by assuring you that all of our students are safe and there is no threat at Tates Creek High School. I’m saddened to share that I am writing today to make you aware that our law enforcement officers have arrested one of our students for having a gun on campus.
This morning, the Lexington Police Department picked up a student in neighborhood for truancy and brought him to campus. Our law enforcement officers searched the student when he arrived at school and found a gun. He was charged with possession of a weapon on school property and will also face serious administrative consequences through the school district.
I know this is disturbing. I am just as upset as you are. But I hope you see that we found the weapon today because our school responded to last week’s incident by making a change in practice. Our Fayette County Department of Law Enforcement does an amazing job of safeguarding our schools and working with us to ensure the safety of our students.
I’ve been principal at Tates Creek High School for more than a decade and this is not emblematic of our school. Tates Creek is a caring and safe community
and although we have had three guns on our campus in the past 12 days, none of the students had any intent of using the weapons at school.
Schools are microcosms of the neighborhoods that we serve and solving the proliferation of weapons in our community will require a broader commitment from families and other partners.
We are in close communication with district leaders and the Lexington Police Department about this situation. Our partnership with the Lexington Police Department is critical to an overall effortfor safety in our schools. In addition to the protocol we have already instituted of searching any student that the Lexington Police Department brings to campus, we are also considering the implementation of random metal detector checks for all students.
Please mark your calendars for a meeting for families and community partners on Wednesday, November 16th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss this situation and how we come together to address some of the concerning community issues with which TCHS is dealing. As always, please don’t hesitate to call me with questions or concerns.
Sam Meaux
Principal
