Students in Texas suspended for failing to report classmates with weapons – parents outraged

Some parents at Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy are outraged by the disciplinary actions taken against a handful of students for the way they reacted when they learned that their classmate had shown up at school armed with a gun.

Mesquite police rushed to the public charter school on February 19 after an assistant principal called 911 to report that an armed student was barricaded in an office.

Body camera video shows officers attempting to calm the teenager before opening fire after he appears to raise his arms with a firearm in his hand.

The teenager suffered minor injuries and was taken into custody.

NBC 5 has learned that at least three students were suspended for allegedly failing to report that a classmate had brought a gun to school, according to the parents of two of the students involved.

Marta Fonseca asked NBC 5 to hear directly from her 15-year-old daughter about what happened that morning and why she reacted that way.

Gabriela Rodriguez, a ninth-grader at PTAA, said she was about 20 minutes late for class when she noticed the boy trying to sit next to her.

“He decides to just open his backpack and point the gun at me,” she said. “He said he would do it one day, so today was that day. He would do it and that he was only targeting the English teacher. And that after that, everyone should just leave the classroom.”

Rodriguez says she initially thought the gun was a dummy.

“I sat there in shock because I didn’t think it was a real gun,” she said. “I sat there for about five minutes and I just thought, ‘This isn’t real, this isn’t real. This isn’t happening.'”

Rodriguez says the bell rang a few minutes later, so she left school and headed to her next class without informing an adult.

“Yes, I could have tried, but at this point I just think, ‘Would this boy turn on me?’ and would I get hurt and not someone else,” she said.

Fonseca says that although she has taught her girls “when they see something, say something,” they should not be “ashamed” of their reactions under stress.

“That’s a lot to put on a child who just saw a child with a gun in a classroom,” Fonseca said. “She’s still growing and her mentality isn’t fully developed yet. To put something that big on her, she actually feared for her life.”

She says the students are already traumatized by the subsequent shooting and should not face disciplinary action.

Edgar Villa says his daughter was in the same class as the shooter but was not told about the gun that morning.

Villa says he and other parents are advocating for the suspended students and their families, claiming the school has failed them.

Several students told NBC 5 that school administrators never adequately prepared students or staff for such an emergency.

In addition, Villa said, students’ lack of trust prevented them from informing staff. “Perhaps they were uncomfortable telling teachers because they treated them so badly,” Villa said.

As for the importance of reporting threats, Villa and Fonseca argue that minors should not be reprimanded, particularly because law enforcement frequently claims that teens are often the first to learn about possible school shootings.

When asked if she regretted her decisions that day, Rodriguez said, “Honestly, I don’t regret anything at all. Yes, maybe I should have done it differently, but at this point I’m OK with it as long as I and others are safe, which fortunately is the case.”

The PTAA sent a statement to NBC 5 late Tuesday afternoon that reads in part:

“We are aware of inquiries regarding the disciplinary actions related to the incident. Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the PTAA is prohibited from publicly discussing specific student cases. We assure the community that all decisions are made after careful consideration, that our established policies are followed, and that the well-being of our students and staff is ensured.“

“Educating our students about safety, responsibility, and the importance of reporting concerns is an ongoing process. The PTAA is committed to instilling these values ​​through our curriculum and community engagement initiatives. We believe in learning from incidents to create a safer, more aware, and more cohesive school environment.“

“The PTAA is in the process of organizing additional meetings and discussions with specific parents and students. These forums will serve to listen, share updates, and work together to improve our school’s safety measures.“