Teacher and union president says district response left staff unsafe after student threats

Brent Vogelman, a teacher at East River Middle School and president of the East Whittier IWI union, told the Board of Education that a student in his classroom wrote violent threats, including wanting to "cut off my head, gouge out my eyes and feed me my guts," and that the district’s response left him feeling unsafe.

Vogelman said the March 18 incident followed a pattern of aggressive conduct by the same student, which he said had persisted since kindergarten, and described a March 31 manifestation determination review and a reentry meeting on April 1 where he repeatedly asked how the district would keep him safe but received no specific plan. "How are you keeping me safe?" Vogelman said he asked at the meeting. "I did not get a straight answer."

The teacher said the student was placed on suspension and a schedule change but was slated to return the next day pending a reentry meeting; Vogelman characterized the schedule change as a "positive reinforcement" for threatening behavior and announced he will file a formal grievance with district administration and share proposed solutions with each board member and Superintendent Dr. Patterson.

The district reminded the public that board policy typically limits direct responses to public comments during a meeting. Superintendent Dr. Patterson told the board she had no comment at that time but earlier staff described the system for investigating complaints and noted a facilities‑related Williams complaint at Orchardale tied to modernization and plumbing issues.

Several other teachers and staff echoed Vogelman’s concerns during public comment. Amy Swanson, a Hillview Middle School teacher, told the board, "We need protocols. We need help. We are your employees and you need to establish policies that protect your employees while we are at work." Lilia Miller, who said she was in the office when the student returned, described "violent" banging at the front door and said the episode left staff feeling terrified.

The board acknowledged the seriousness of the safety concerns, saying members and the superintendent have discussed safety frequently and that the board is responsible for establishing policy. The board President said the district and board will continue to examine safety systems and that he will meet again with Dr. Patterson. The board also agreed to bring related policy items back for further review rather than vote them through immediately.

Next steps: Vogelman said he will file a grievance with district administration; the board tabled an item on suspension and expulsion due process for further review and asked staff to bring related policy materials forward for a future meeting.