Parents and students tell Huntley 158 board about repeated bullying and a threat at Marlowe Middle School
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Summary
At the Feb. 19 Huntley Community School District 158 board meeting, parents and students described repeated bullying at Marlowe Middle School and a Feb. 9 threat in which a student allegedly told another they would be shot; commenters said documentation and disciplinary follow‑through were inconsistent and asked the district for a fuller investigation.
Mary Holzkoff, a Huntley parent of five, told the school board that her daughter Hadley has been the target of repeated harassment and physical aggression at Marlowe Middle School, and that incidents escalated this school year. According to Holzkoff, a student she identified as Jaden called Hadley a “trans freak,” pushed her and attempted to choke her with a necklace in August, and on Feb. 9 told Hadley three times that he would “shoot her with a shotgun,” then mimicked shooting with a Chromebook.
Holzkoff said she reported the earlier incidents by email to staff members including Sally Mueller and Jessica Lambert; in response Mueller emailed Holzkoff, “Thank you so much. Everything is appropriate. We will get on this.” Holzkoff said the family involved police after the Feb. 9 incident, and was told the other student was kept out of school for about a week while police investigated. She said she was not told details of any disciplinary action, and later learned the district had not documented prior incidents, which she said led administrators to treat the Feb. 9 event as an initial incident rather than part of a sequence.
A student speaker, Ashton, who identified themself as a senior who had experienced harassment at Marlowe, said the pattern of behavior dated back to middle school and continues to affect students’ safety. Citing the Illinois School Code, Ashton asked, “If the law allows you to act, then why aren’t you?” and urged the district to use its authority to address threats of violence.
Board members and administrators acknowledged the comments. During the superintendent and assistant superintendent reports earlier in the meeting, staff described ongoing work on behavior frameworks and a behavior task force aimed at tier 2 and 3 supports. Administrators present said they would follow up on the concerns raised during public comment and work with appropriate directors and building staff to review documentation and responses.
No formal disciplinary details were disclosed at the meeting. Holzkoff asked the board to pursue a bullying investigation and expressed concern that inconsistent documentation had limited the district’s ability to respond cumulatively. The board did not take a formal vote on this matter during the Feb. 19 meeting; the item was raised during the public comment period for board follow‑up.