January 23, 2020
Dear Waukegan Community
I am writing today to share my feelings and frustration related to an incident that occurred at one of our high school campuses on Wednesday, January 22. Prior to dismissal at the Brookside Campus, there was a classroom altercation between three students, which resulted in two students seeking medical attention -- one for a laceration and another for back pain.
At the time of the incident, and immediately following, it was not known what caused the laceration. These types of investigations are often fluid, and all the facts take time to gather. Today we learned that during the course of the altercation one student is alleged to have struck another student with a classroom tool. School staff continue to investigate the incident along with law enforcement, and students involved will face consequences consistent with state laws and District policies.
We know an incident like this can be disturbing. We absolutely will not tolerate physical violence in our schools. Any student who is involved in these types of incidents will face consequences in accordance with District policy and State law.
That said, these types of incidents are not a reflection of the overwhelming majority of students in our high school, or in our district. There are more than 4,200 students within our high school who are collaborating and cooperating in learning experiences that are productive and positive on a daily basis. It is my hope that parents/ guardians and their children can have an honest dialogue about the importance of representing yourself, and treating your peers, and the educational environment in a respectful manner.
In closing, I want to assure our parents, staff and students that we as a school district are constantly enforcing and reevaluating our safety protocols, and the safety of our students and staff remains a top priority.
Sincerely,
Theresa Plascencia
Superintendent of Schools