Parent tells Nantucket school committee her sixth-grader was threatened with shooting at home

Tamika Gary, a parent, told the Nantucket School Committee Sept. 2 that her sixth-grade son was emotionally harmed on the first day of school after an eighth-grade student allegedly threatened to arrange a shooting at the family home. Gary described seeing her son upset after a group-chat dispute followed by an in-person altercation. "He is going to get a friend to come to my child's house to shoot it up," she said, reporting the alleged threat as told to her son. She said a teacher broke up the fight but that she and her husband were not notified by school staff that the incident had occurred. The matter, Gary said, was reported to the principal and that school staff told the family they were reviewing surveillance footage. Gary said the principal and security officers "did not know" about aspects of the incident and that some reporting steps "did not even fall through." She said she and her husband will report the incident to the police and "will be legally seeking ramifications" because her son no longer felt safe. The committee chair invited Gary to speak with administrators after her remarks, and Superintendent Dr. Hallett said she would reach out to Gary following the meeting. The superintendent later identified safety and reunification planning as a district priority this year and said the district will work with the Nantucket Police and Fire Departments on drills and safety planning. The committee heard the account during the public comment portion of the meeting; no formal action or vote was taken during the meeting on the incident. Gary asked the committee to note a perceived lapse in notification and follow-up by school staff, and she said her son spent much of the day fearful. The superintendent said she would follow up with Gary and that the school principal had begun reviewing surveillance footage and speaking to involved parties. Committee members did not debate or vote on policy changes at the meeting; they directed staff to follow up with the family and pursue appropriate school and public-safety steps. The committee's next meeting agenda includes a report on safety work and a planned presentation with school resource officers that could include related procedures and next steps for communication with families.