Parents press board on school safety after weapon found at Woodlawn High; superintendent says metal detectors used but investigation continues

A parent told the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Jan. 16 that a weapon was discovered at Woodlawn High School earlier that day and urged the district to "get serious about protecting our kids." Daryl Dorsey, a parent at Woodlawn High School, said parents waited outside the school and saw law enforcement respond and that the experience left families frightened and unsure what had happened.

The district's superintendent, identified in the meeting as Superintendent Cole, apologized to the Woodlawn community and confirmed that the district has metal detectors and walk-through detectors at its high schools. "We have verified that our high schools are using metal detectors and walk through detectors, but we have not validated whether or not they're using them effectively," Cole said, adding the district is investigating what led to the breakdown in security during the incident.

Why it matters: Board members and the superintendent described school safety as a top priority for East Baton Rouge Parish, noting that decisions about closures or other emergency responses affect many families and local agencies. The public comment dramatized the human impact when communication to families is unclear.

Details from the meeting: Daryl Dorsey urged the board to ensure students have the same protections as district staff and visitors, describing the distress of seeing multiple police vehicles and not being able to reach children. Cole said a caller alerted the district to the possible weapon and that staff and security teams responded, confiscating the weapon before further harm occurred. "We have 0 tolerance for that type of behavior, and we are going to evaluate, improve, and get better in terms of keeping our students safe," Cole said.

Board members asked for clarification and next steps. One board member asked whether metal detectors were being used consistently; the superintendent said the district had verified use of the equipment but had not yet validated effective operation at every school and that an investigation was underway.

The superintendent also explained a separate item listed on the consent agenda: test security. "Test security simply is how do we ensure that there are environments for our students to test during LEAP 2025 this year, as well as ACT testing this year," Cole said, adding the state has specific guidelines for adults present during testing and that the district must ensure staff know and follow those procedures.

Next steps and context: Cole said he has met with state legislators and other partners to explore ways to increase school safety resources and asked the public to report threats or concerns. The board did not vote on additional safety funding or procedural changes at the Jan. 16 meeting; the superintendent said staff will continue to investigate and update the board and community.

Closing note: The exchange tied an immediate security incident to ongoing district policies on school safety and testing environments and drew public attention to how the district communicates with families during school emergencies.