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Parents and veterans press school board for better threat notifications after Crenshaw incidents
Summary
Parents and a veteran described two threat incidents at Crenshaw Elementary and criticized delayed notifications and visible police posture, urging faster alerts, cross-school warnings and accountability even when threats are deemed not credible.
Parents and community members used public comment at the Oct. 14 Chesterfield County School Board meeting to press the division for faster, clearer notification and stronger on-site posture after what they described as two threat incidents at Crenshaw Elementary.
Chris Fugate, a Chesterfield resident and combat veteran, told the board he saw what he described as an insufficient police response during a morning threat at Crenshaw and said official notification to parents' was delayed by more than 90 minutes on one occasion. "Parents deserve better than to be left in the dark while students are still entering the building," Fugate said, and asked the board to adopt four immediate steps: earlier parental notification, stronger sustained police posture, alerts to nearby schools and accountability or interventions for every threat, "credible or not." (Chris Fugate, public commenter.)
Why it matters: Speakers argued that delayed or limited alerts leave families unable to make informed safety decisions; several parents gave concrete examples of missed breakfasts, tardiness and anxiety caused by long lines at security checkpoints or delayed communications.
Specific concerns and suggestions: A seventh-grade student, Donald Payton Jr., described long waits at metal detectors that sometimes caused students to miss breakfast and asked for temporary canopies, indoor waiting-space options or increased staff during inclement weather. Parent Robert Everest and others said the division should use the same urgent-texting infrastructure it uses for bus delays to send immediate threat alerts and urged transparency about notification protocols.
Board and staff follow-up: Superintendent Dr. Murray said staff would follow up with principals and noted that district staff had committed to review notification procedures, strengthen cross-school communication and reevaluate coordination with law enforcement. Parents and speakers called for documented, public changes in notification and response protocols and for explanations about why some suspected threats did not result in charges.
Ending: The public-comment exchange concluded with the board thanking speakers and saying more follow-up would be provided; several speakers said they expected quick, concrete changes to notification processes and to visible police coordination across nearby schools.
