OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Tuesday night, the Oxford Community Schools board will discuss hiring a consultant to look at safety procedures nearly six months after the mass shooting at the high school on Nov. 30.
Four students were killed and six others were injured along with a teacher.
Criminal charges are pending against 16-year-old Oxford High School student Ethan Crumbley and his parents who are charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre, one of the students killed, spoke to 7 Action News in an exclusive interview.
He says in effect, this is a failure from the state because, “To me, it doesn't address how did this day happen and how do we not let this day happen again?”
Myre says the district brought in the four families of the students killed individually to discuss setting up a memorial, but without making it a trigger reminder to students still healing from the mass shooting.
“They're not taking our advice or our opinions on that. They're doing what they want to do,” Myre said.
School officials say they are moving forward with advice from a trauma specialist.
"I would love to ask the question to this trauma specialist that they keep referring to," Myre said. "What would it do for the kids if the school stood up and took ownership on their part in this? Would it change the whole psychology of that? Would the kids feel a little bit more comfortable and say hey, now we've got somebody that's owning this?”
The school plan spells out it is “not to replicate the criminal investigation. But rather to assess areas of potential improvements in policies, procedures, training ... we will not include an investigation.. that could potentially cause conflict with the criminal trials and civil litigation.”
Ven Johnson is the attorney for the Myre family who told 7 Action News, “I absolutely detest it when people lie to my face and tell me how transparent they're being while they're hiding things from people. And the only thing more insulting is to call it transparent when it's the opposite. And that's what this is.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has offered twice to conduct a third-party review at no cost but has been turned down.
Johnson asks how much will the district pay a consultant to do a limited review.
“It’s a travesty for everybody in that school now because the folks that are still there want to know that their kids are safe,” Myre said.
Myre says he’ll be back involved in the school helping to coach football.
We asked school officials to talk about this but we were told the superintendent did not have time.
