OXFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Passionate parents filled the auditorium at Oxford High School Tuesday night during a board meeting in the wake of new revelations in the Nov. 30 deadly shooting.
The revelations stem from a lawsuit, stating that an armed security guard saw one of the students killed, Tate Myre, bleeding on the floor. The security guard said she thought it was a drill.
The school board president sparked controversy in an email to parents by referring to the allegations as “counterproductive and designed to divide.”
The statement comes months after frustrated parents have been demanding answers. Parents waited four hours for public comment. Some arrived early to the 6:30 p.m. meeting.
“I don't want to bury anymore kids. I don't want these families to feel alone,” parent Cori McCarthy said.
Before the meeting, some parents gathered in the parking lot, bringing signs calling for the removal of the school board.
“How can I send my children back to you? How can I trust you? How do I know it won’t happen again if we haven't done anything,” McCarthy said.
Parents like McCarthy are upset over the new revelations disclosed in the lawsuit and the response from school board President Tom Donnelley. They feel they haven’t gotten answers and that the board should be held accountable.
“Ethan may have pulled the trigger, but what the board president did is he allowed for all this to happen,” McCarthy said.
Related: Oxford teachers told they don’t have to participate in third-party investigation
During the meeting, the board heard a new security presentation with plans for weapons detection software, weapons detection dogs and armed personnel in every building.
The board entered closed session with their attorneys for over an hour. Upset parents held their own closed session in the auditorium.
“They were injured. They lost friends. We lost children in this building. And this is where we’re at,” one person said to the group.
Parents discussed their lack of trust in the board and how they feel they haven’t been told the truth.
Tate Myre’s father Buck addressed the crowd
“It’s a big time cover up. Our government is not for us,” Buck Myre said.
During their final comments, the board expressed regret for not providing all the answers, while hoping to restore trust in a divided town.
The meeting continued through 11 p.m. Tuesday. The meeting is one of the last before the school year starts on Aug. 25.
