Missteps and failures by the former superintendent of Oxford Community School and two former members of his cabinet have led to the devastating school shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. According to a comprehensive 572-page report released by Guidepost Solutions, the independent organization that conducted the investigation, the responsibility for the shooting lies with Tim Throne, the superintendent at the time, as well as Jill Lemond and Denise Sweat, former assistant superintendents for student services. These individuals were tasked with implementing a proper threat assessment and suicide intervention process, which they failed to do.
The report explicitly states, “We believe that the district’s senior administration bears the most significant responsibility for the District’s failure to implement an appropriate threat assessment and suicide intervention process.” Prior to the attack, multiple instances occurred where school officials should have escalated the shooter’s concerning behavior, but failed to do so. For example, a teacher noticed the shooter looking at handgun ammunition on his cellphone and reported it, only to be told it was improper. Another teacher reported the shooter watching a shooting video on his cellphone, and later found a worksheet with drawings of a gun and disturbing words. Despite these warning signs, the shooter’s conduct was not escalated to the principal and a proper threat assessment was not conducted.
Guidepost Solutions identified Sweat and Lemond as major contributors to the failure of the threat assessment process. Sweat refused to cooperate with the investigation, while Lemond denied responsibility for overseeing the threat assessment policy, despite preparing a grant application on the topic. The report also criticized the district’s school board for failing to establish threat assessment guidelines and ensure proper implementation. The absence of these guidelines was deemed a significant failure on the part of the superintendent, assistant superintendents, and the board.
However, the report also acknowledges that many individuals declined to participate in the investigation. The district’s attorneys, Giarmarco, Mullins and Horton, advised employees not to speak with Guidepost to avoid potential litigation issues. Union attorneys also advised members not to cooperate. Additionally, the school board made interviews voluntary, adding further obstacles to the investigation process. As a result, the report was unable to obtain critical information from key sources.
Ultimately, four students lost their lives and several others were injured in the tragic shooting at Oxford High School. The shooter, Ethan Crumbley, meticulously planned the attack and used a semi-automatic handgun to carry out his heinous actions. While the report does assign blame to the shooter and his parents, it highlights the fact that the tragedy could have been prevented if proper threat assessment guidelines had been in place and followed.
The report found that the district failed in several key areas, including communication of the threat assessment policy, adoption of administrative guidelines, notification of the threat assessment form, establishment of trained threat assessment teams at each school, and updating of suicide intervention guidelines. The training of threat assessment team members, particularly school mental health professionals, was found to be insufficient.
Former board President Tom Donnelly also accused Oxford Community Schools of not following its own threat assessment policies prior to the shooting. Throne, Sweat, and Lemond have all left their positions since the incident, with Lemond now working in education market development at Evolv, the company that provides weapons detection systems for the high school.
The report specifically focuses on the shooter’s actions leading up to the attack and highlights the missed opportunities for intervention. The shooter’s counselor and the dean of students failed to properly alert the principal when they had concerning information and allowed the shooter to return to class with his backpack containing the weapon. The report concludes that the shooter’s parents should have been required to seek professional help but were instead allowed to leave with their son, ultimately enabling the tragic events that unfolded later that day.
In conclusion, the report emphasizes the need for effective threat assessment and intervention processes in schools to prevent future tragedies. It highlights the failures of the superintendent and his cabinet, as well as the district’s school board, while acknowledging the challenges faced during the investigation process. The report serves as a reminder of the profound impact that proper implementation of safety measures can have on the well-being of students and the prevention of acts of violence in schools.
