FMS students return after suspension over lists

By JESSICA KELLER - ARGUS OBSERVER
Friday, October 5, 2007 12:05 PM PDT

FRUITLAND - Fruitland School District administrators feel appropriate action was taken last week when it was discovered three Fruitland Middle School students had written two lists with the heading “People need to die,” followed by names of peers.

The three middle school students were suspended from school, Sept. 27, after the lists were retrieved by school staff. The students were allowed to return Wednesday.

FMS Principal Geno Bates said, however, the lists should not be considered a “hit list.”

“People are calling it a hit list, but it’s not a hit list,” he said.

The lists in question were brought to the attention of one of the school’s paraprofessionals Sept. 27, Bates said. He said the paraprofessional retrieved them and gave them to the school counselor, who gave them to him. Bates said he then notified Fruitland School District Superintendent Alan Felgenhauer.

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He said the first names of 35 to 40 names of students were listed. One of the lists broke down the names into two categories of “good friends” and “bad friends.” Both, however, had the same heading, although one had been erased by the time it was seized.

Bates said when he interviewed the students, they told him they had no intention of hurting anybody, but were venting their frustrations by naming students who had teased, made fun of or been offensive to them in the past. During the interviews, the students were very remorseful about their lists, Bates said.

“They just unfortunately wrote the wrong words on top,” he said.

Bates said the students were made aware of the serious nature of their lists and counseled on how to appropriately vent frustration or address problems in the future.

Bates said, after assessing the situation, he did not think the students were violent, nor would they act out their frustrations through violence, and did not believe they should be expelled.

“If I felt there was any intent to harm anybody, I would not have allowed any of the kids to come back to school,” Bates said.

He said, to prevent this type of incident again, children will be given better guidance as to how to react to problems, such as teasing and bullying, and school staff and administration will pay close attention to any signs of those issues.

Although Bates would not say the grade levels of the students involved in either writing or named on the lists, he did say all the attention was focused on the sixth grade. He said, the afternoon the students were suspended, he wrote a letter to all the parents of sixth-graders who had children with first names that were mentioned.

“That was the best way I could get the best, accurate information to them,” he said.

In the letter, Bates explained the situation to the parents, but also encouraged them to speak with their children on how they may treat other students, “especially those that may be quieter or less fortunate than themselves.” He also invited parents to call him with their questions and concerns.

“I think some are upset,” Bates said. “It’s a scary thing. It’s not something you take lightly in this day and age.”

Felgenhauer said Bates followed school district protocol in handling the situation and conducting an extensive investigation, but added parents’ input was welcome.

“We’ll talk to the parents, and if they think we could have handled it a little bit better or a little bit differently then we’ll listen to what they have to say,” he said.

Felgenhauer said he trusted Bates’ judgment in deciding expulsion was not necessary.

“And if we felt like there was really any intention to do harm then we would have done an expulsion hearing,” Felgenhauer said.

Felgenhauer said, however, the district will continue to monitor the situation.