Parents to host safety town hall at Woodlawn High School after recent incidents

WOODLAWN, Md. — Parents at Woodlawn High School are organizing a safety town hall after a series of incidents rattled the school community this fall.

Megan West, a Woodlawn parent whose daughters attend the school, said the recent altercations have taken a toll on her family.

West said her daughters have responded differently to the incidents.

"My oldest daughter was more so desensitized, whereas my youngest was shocked. She will be calling me, panicking to the point where now they both don't want to be in school. They just don't want to go to the school," West said.

West and the school's Parent Teacher Student Association are spearheading a town hall Wednesday night at 7 p.m., inviting families to discuss recent school violence.

Megan West

"Our kids should be able to go into their school buildings and be safe and get the education that they are legally entitled to, without this being in the back of their mind," said Kari Waters, Woodlawn's PTSA president.

October brought a series of challenging incidents for the school community; on October 14, a verbal altercation led to a gun being found on a student, and a letter sent home to families said the student was arrested. The following day, four students were involved in a fight, and one was sent to the hospital. That weekend, Baltimore County Police said a threat involving the school that circulated on social media was not credible.

READ MORE: Police: Woodlawn High School social media threat not credible

West said the conversation needs to start with students themselves.

"We need to reach our children first because they are the ones that are experiencing this, and if we can at least get to the root of the problem by speaking to them, including them instead of talking at them, talking to them, talking with them, perhaps we can come to some sort of resolution," West said.

West said Wednesday night's 7 p.m. town hall will not be the last, describing it as one of many conversations needed to keep the dialogue going.

Baltimore County Public Schools sent the following statement to WMAR-2 News ahead of the town hall:

"BCPS is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of every student and staff member at Woodlawn High School and across Team BCPS," the statement read.

"Safety is a shared responsibility, and when we work together and uphold our roles, we create safe and welcoming spaces where students can maximize learning and thrive."

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