Jefferson Elementary went into a brief lockdown Wednesday after a school employee activated a security system button intended to summon Erie police to the building. The lockdown was triggered by an encounter with an irate parent rather than student behavior.
District officials determined shortly after the activation that the situation did not require a police response, and the call for assistance was cancelled. District Superintendent Dr. Natalyn Gibbs provided insight into the incident Friday afternoon as the school continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the staff member’s decision.
Gibbs clarified that the security alert was not triggered by student behavior. “Something to note is that the staff member did not initiate the lockdown due to a student behavior, rather it was due to an irate parent” Gibbs said. The incident remains under internal investigation to determine the specifics of the encounter.
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The Erie School District uses specific safety procedures for emergency situations. District Solicitor Tim Wachter said the employee’s decision to trigger the alert did not follow the training provided to school staff. “It was not in line with the ‘i love you guys’ protocols that the staff has been trained on to trigger that level of response,” Wachter said.
Despite the administration’s criticism of the protocol usage, the Erie Education Association issued a statement in support of the staff member’s actions. Association President Jessica Nunez stated that employees must be allowed to exercise their judgment regarding safety. “If a staff member in their judgment is concerned for the safety of their students and coworkers, they have the right to call for support” Nunez said.
The association further addressed what they described as a pattern of chronic violence and student behavior problems within the district. The organization stated that local educators encounter these behavioral issues almost daily while working in the schools.
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Gibbs responded to the association’s statement by acknowledging that behavioral events are a recurring challenge. She noted that teachers have shown resilience while navigating difficult situations. “They are correct in saying these events aren’t isolated” Gibbs said. “It’s not an isolated event. Teachers have been resilient to overcoming trauma the last few years.”
The superintendent stated that the district remains committed to addressing safety and behavioral concerns. Gibbs called on the community to assist the district in improving the school environment. “I’m calling on all of the boots on the ground influencers to help us join in this movement and be a part of this movement” Gibbs said.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.