Sibil Poppiti, whose daughter Nicole plays for Dickinson’s volleyball team, said Delaware schools should redirect their focus from high stakes testing to instructing students on self defense.
“This could happen to any girl, at any school and anywhere in the state,” Poppiti said.
Barry Cowan, whose daughter attends Dickinson, said he is concerned with the trend he’s seen the past three years.
“It’s extremely tragic that this happened now, but when I reflect back on the two prior years this is just a buildup,” Cowan said. “I’m concerned for the safety and welfare of all students. It’s very troubling that we’re addressing this in a post-facto manner.”
Brian James said his daughter is afraid to use the bathrooms. Confidentiality laws for juvenile delinquents bother him and the incidents the suspect is accused of obviously indicated he was a “ticking time bomb,” James said.
“What are we protecting from? Being embarrassed?” he said.
Cpl Jeffrey Whitmarsh, spokesman for Delaware State Police, said police knew who the suspect was within two hours of the incident because of the school’s camera surveillance system. He is still in custody.
“Our investigator has provided all the information she has gathered as well as what Detective Cochran has gathered to the Attorney General’s Office,” he said. “They can move forward to prosecute this case the best way they can.”
Dickinson Principal Byron Murphy said that as the investigation moved forward very quickly there arose some questions.
“The security of the school did not fail that night,” Murphy said. “The building was secure. The perpetrator was here legitimately. He was given access to areas. We have taken several steps to review and improve the security of this school.”
Red Clay Superintendent Dr. Robert J. Andrzejewski assured parents that students coming from alternative placements, such as Ferris School, are not allowed to enter Red Clay schools if they have troubled records.
“We have had an overwhelming number of students who have tried to come into our schools from some of the state agencies – Ferris and others – 17- and 18-year-old students with no credits and a criminal background who want to register in our high schools,” he said. “Our team has said no. You need to know we’ve been working on this issue.”
