Parents urge immediate security changes after student assaulted at offsite hockey game; board tasks safety director to develop plan

Parents of high-school students told the Anchor Bay School District Board of Education on Feb. 26 that inadequate security at an offsite hockey game on Feb. 19 left one student seriously injured and prompted calls for immediate changes to supervision at school-sponsored events.

Megan Blankhorn, a parent, described her son’s attack outside the hockey arena and said she received a call at 9:32 p.m. reporting that her son had been “jumped by 7” students and thought his nose might be broken. Blankhorn said she called 911 at 9:34 p.m. and that emergency responders arrived about 9:50 p.m. She reported the student has since suffered severe concussion symptoms and remains out of school. Blankhorn urged the district for “an explanation for why no security was present at a school-sponsored event” and demanded “immediate concrete changes to ensure that no other family has to experience what mine has endured.”

Another parent, Erica Schafer (Anchor Bay class of 1992), told the board the problem is recurring and said she had seen videos from earlier games showing similar behavior. She said school-sponsored activities at offsite rinks should include staffing and crowd-release procedures similar to other athletic venues. A third parent said the hockey boosters and volunteer parents currently handle much of event staffing but are not trained law-enforcement or professional security.

Board response and next steps

Board members and Superintendent Jeremy Jankowski expressed concern and said the district is treating the matter seriously. Jankowski said the district will pursue multiple steps, including checking whether the host venue provided the required supervision, coordinating with the host-school administration and leveraging the district’s safety director. In the meeting the board placed a specific assignment with the district’s director of safety and security, Mr. Pape, to: - review security staffing and protocols for offsite school-sponsored events, including hockey at Suburban Ice and similar rinks; - contact hosting districts and county sheriff offices to confirm their staffing plans and expectations; and - propose a district approach for future season schedules, cost-sharing for security and protocols to stagger exits or otherwise separate rival fans.

Board President Mr. Green said the district does not tolerate violent student behavior and that administrators and the newly hired director of safety and security “need to figure out how we get around those barriers to protect our students.” Jankowski told the board he had already contacted the superintendent of the host school and that the district had offered to share costs for security in prior years; the offer was declined. He said the arena later had Macomb County Sheriff deputies in place at the next event.

What parents asked for

Parents asked the board for: an investigation into the incident; clarification on why no staff or security intervened until after the student’s mother called 911; mandatory security staffing at all school events on or off campus; and that administrators ensure other districts and arena operators adhere to MHSAA or county expectations for event staffing.

Clarifying context and district limitations

Administrators cautioned that some rinks are privately operated and in other municipalities or counties, which can complicate staffing and jurisdiction. The district also noted that the Fortis guards it contracts are subject to host-venue approval and insurance rules, so the district may have to negotiate shared-cost or indemnification arrangements to place district-paid security at offsite venues.

Ending

Parents said they plan to share video evidence with the district; the board asked staff to coordinate a follow-up and report back with a proposed plan before the next season of games. The board emphasized protecting students at school-affiliated activities “is our number-one job,” and directed staff to pursue short- and longer-term solutions.