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Students and parents urge review of daily Yondr pouch checkpoints, call for staff training
Summary
At the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District meeting, students and parents described daily Yondr pouch checks and a heavy security presence that they said feels like "airport security," urging the board to review practices and require de‑escalation training for staff.
Noah Sussman, a high school student who said he moved to the district about a year ago, told the board that daily Yondr pouch checks and a TSA‑style checkpoint at the high school feel intimidating. "I find this, intimidating to a degree... being stopped by security guards like that," he told the board during public comment, and described an incident in which he said a security guard "yelled at" and "cursed out" him; a report he filed, he said, produced no witnesses and the matter was left unresolved.
Khadijah K. Sussman, who introduced herself as Noah's mother and as a school counselor and therapist with 20 years' experience, said she supports reducing classroom disruptions but urged the board to weigh the emotional impact of daily checkpoints. "The first interaction students have with their school should communicate that they are welcomed, respected, and valued," she said, arguing that airport‑style screening can set the wrong tone and asking the board to "evaluate whether these daily checkpoints are more effective" than less intrusive approaches that preserve dignity and trust.
Greg Sussman, a 25‑year classroom teacher and union representative, urged investment in professional development for staff and safety officers focused on de‑escalation. Describing the district response to the student incident as a "he said, she said" situation, he said investigations must rely on verifiable facts but added, "professional development is really the way to go," and recommended inclusive training for all staff to reduce confrontations.
Board members moved forward with several routine policy votes during the same meeting, including approval of the district’s code of conduct and guidance plan. Superintendent Dr. Norman and other administrators thanked those who commented; Dr. Norman told the meeting, "We are always, wanna know good, bad and indifferent," and said the district welcomes public input.
What happens next: speakers at the meeting asked the board to review enforcement practices and consider alternatives to daily checks, and several members of the public requested that staff training on de‑escalation be expanded. The board did not announce a formal review during the meeting; public commenters asked the board to evaluate the practices and their equity impacts going forward.
