Superintendent says student at L'Anse Creuse North arrested on off-campus homicide; board to review records in closed session

Superintendent Howell told the L'Anse Creuse Public Schools Board of Education that on 04/01/2025 “a student at Lance Cruz High School North was taken into custody by law enforcement” and has since been formally charged in connection with a homicide that occurred in February off school grounds and outside the county.

The superintendent said an internal review is under way and that the board would meet in closed session that night to "review attorney client privilege materials related to this matter," while district leaders promised additional updates as appropriate and legally permitted.

The announcement followed more than an hour of public comment from teachers, parents and community members asking how the student came to be enrolled in the district, what staff knew and when, and what steps the district will take to better protect students. In remarks read aloud to the board, Santisia Dobbs, identified as the mother of one of the homicide victims, urged the district to “change their policies to protect our children” and thanked board member Herndon for raising the issue publicly.

Several staff members and parents told the board they felt kept in the dark. Mitchell Osechuk, a choir and drama director at L'Anse Creuse North, said, “In 11 years at LCN, I have never once felt unsafe.” Teacher Michael Lynch, who said he has worked at the school 28 years, echoed support for building staff while urging the board to answer parents’ questions about how a person charged with homicide came to be present on campus.

Board members said they have been seeking facts while balancing legal and privacy constraints. Superintendent Howell said that in June 2024 police had detained and questioned the student as a person of interest but released the student and that, at the time, school officials were not fully informed of the nature of the investigation; the student returned to school "consistent with state law and our school policies." Howell said he had initiated a full review from enrollment onward and was coordinating with the district's legal team.

After public comment the board voted 6–1 to enter closed session under two sections of the Open Meetings Act: to review attorney-client privileged materials (section 8(1)(h)) and for strategy related to collective bargaining (section 8(1)(c)). The motion to enter closed session was moved by Mister De Villa and seconded by Missus Herndon; the roll call recorded Missus Ross opposing. The board returned to open session shortly after midnight.

What happened at the school and what staff knew drew multiple requests for public answers. Speakers pressed the board for an explicit timetable for fuller disclosures and for what policy or enforcement changes would follow. Superintendent Howell and board members said they would provide updates when allowed by law and when attorney-client privilege and student privacy rules do not prohibit additional disclosures.

The board did not vote on discipline, staffing or policy changes at the meeting; members said some next steps require legal review and additional fact-gathering.

A closed-session review and subsequent public updates are the district's immediate next actions; the superintendent also said the district will launch a safety-audit survey for staff, families and students "later this month" to gather feedback on safety practices.

Community members and several staff who spoke urged faster, clearer communications to families and better on-campus threat identification procedures. The board did not announce a schedule for releasing further findings.