Tates Creek HS hosts community forum to deal with gun problem

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)-About 300 people met tonight at Tates Creek High School after four gun incidents at Fayette County Schools in two weeks. The school system says three students brought guns to Tates Creek, while a fourth brought a BB gun to Bryan Station Middle School.

At the meeting Tates Creek Principal Sam Meaux reassures parents that “There is no cover-up. None at all.”

He says, “We’re not fighting each other, we’re trying to problem solve together.”

For more than two hours Principal Meaux and police officers fielded questions from dozens of concerned parents after three students in the past two weeks were caught carrying guns on campus.

One mother says after homeschooling her daughter for years, her daughter now feels uneasy in her first year at Tates Creek High School.

She says, “I’m just going to be honest and say she’s scared. So what would you like for us parents say to our kids who are scared…what would you most like them to know?”

Principal Meaux responds, “Send her to one of us, whoever Mr. Shaw, Mr. Mills, me, Mr. Cheatham, one of her counselors. ‘Alright let’s talk about it.’ Because if she doesn’t talk it out she’s going to stay scared.”

Many parents were concerned why the last two students, who both skipped school, were given a ride back to school by police.

One father asks school officials, “Why don’t you let them be truant for the whole day?Let them get their absence, their truancy, and then handle it through the backside through administration.”

Lexington Police Commander David Lyons says, “We’re evaluating that because we could look at it one way and say we did bring these people in. But let’s face we’re dealing with kids and there’s nothing when these officers are talking with them to believe they’re involved in criminal activity.”

Many parents thanked law enforcement and administration on how they have been handling the gun issues, but say they would like officials to get more specific with their plan to make safety changes.

One mother in the crowd insists, “We need a definite time frame on when you’re going to make some changes and what those changes are going to be and when are we as parents going to have the opportunity to make input on those changes.”

Principal Meaux and parents talked about the possibility of another meeting in the future. School officials weren’t able to get specific about random metal detector checks, as outlined in Superintendent Manny Caulk’s five pronged safety plan announced yesterday. That plan is still in its early stages. Superintendent Caulk plans to meet with his team to create a more complete safety plan Thursday morning.