Mansfield City Schools officials react to recent violence

MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Schools has cancelled classes twice this week following a shooting in Mansfield last week involving multiple teens.

Mansfield Middle and Mansfield Senior High were closed Tuesday. On Thursday evening, Supt. Stan Jefferson announced classes would be cancelled district-wide on Friday.

“The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority. We have been made aware of a potential security concern,” Jefferson wrote in an automated alert to district families and staff. 

In a conversation with Richland Source Wednesday, Jefferson said district leaders spent Tuesday re-examining all its safety and security measures, as well as supportive services in place for students. 

“We are re-checking our safety measures like any school would, but our safety measures were already in place,” he said. “Safety and security is our top priority for our students and our staff inside of our buildings.”

The district operated on a two-hour delay Monday. Jefferson said staff were briefed on the events of the weekend and supports available throughout the district.

Jefferson said he and his staff are focusing on what they control — providing a safe and nurturing environment for students.

“What can we control inside of here in terms of providing academic enrichment, social and emotional growth and helping our students have a clear, concise career pathway to their next rite of passage?” Jefferson said.

Educating is about more than schooling, Jefferson said. It’s about loving and serving.

“We are going to produce a conducive learning environment for our students and our staff to be safe and secure that’s going to have warmth,” he said. “Not only physical warmth, but warmth in terms of the fact that you know I care about you as a person, as an individual.”

Recent shooting involved multiple teens

Eleven people have been shot to death this year in Mansfield, more than any year in the last decade. The most recent incident occurred Friday, when Brandon Collins, 18, and Jarmel Boyd, 17, were killed at a Halloween party. 

At least four more individuals ranging from 14 to 19 years of age were injured in the shooting, according to the Mansfield Police Department. 

It’s estimated between 40 and 50 young people attended the house party on Ferndale Avenue where the shooting took place. Jefferson said he didn’t know how many Mansfield City Schools students may have been involved, but that grief counseling has been made available to students and staff this week.

He also said the district operated on a one-hour early release this week to give students more time to seek help. 

Counselors were available from the district as well as community agencies like Catalyst Life Services, Community Action for Capable Youth (CACY), Mansfield UMADAOP, A Beautiful Mind and Family Life Counseling, who have staff in throughout the district.

“Our community partners have stepped right on in,” Jefferson said. “I want to thank our community partners for all the work done to help us and I want to thank our staff and our students and our parents for being so gracious during these very, very difficult times.”

Jefferson said since the beginning of the school year, students at the middle and high school have walked through metal detectors every morning to enter the building.

Teacher said community violence no longer shocks younger students

Brad Strong, president of the Mansfield School Employees Association, has worked for Mansfield City Schools for 30 years.

He estimates he’s lost at least 10 former students to violence.

“That’s insane. That shouldn’t be,” the Malabar Intermediate teacher said.

Meanwhile, Strong said his students haven’t had a strong reaction to the news.

“It’s sort of like they’re just used to it,” he said.

Strong echoed Jefferson’s comments — there’s only so much a school can do to keep its students safe.

“From 8 to 3 we can help them out a bunch, but the problem is what happens after 3 o’clock?” Strong said.

“We’ve got to have buy-in from the religious community, from the business community, from the city. Until we do, we’re going to keep burying our babies.”

Brad Strong, president of Mansfield School Employees association

This year, the district began implementing its Peace on My Block initiative. Banners urging peace hang throughout the district. Teachers talk regularly with students about the importance of peace and healthy conflict resolution.

Strong said the district is doing a good job using its funds and resources to help students and staff.

But he also believes it will take more than a school-wide initiative to stop the premature deaths of Mansfield youth.

“We can work on Peace in My School, Peace in My Classroom. That’s pretty easy,” he said. “This has got to be bigger than the Mansfield City Schools.

“We’ve got to have buy in from the religious community, from the business community, from the city,” Strong continued. “Until we do, we’re going to keep burying our babies.”

“This has got to be bigger than us.”

Strong said he doesn’t have a simple answer, but he believes the violence is solvable.

“This has got to be a priority. Everybody’s got to make it a priority,” he said. “I want (the community) to get together with their time, talents and treasures and ask, ‘What can we do? What do the kids need?”

Jefferson pointed out that the issues Mansfield faces aren’t unique. Gun violence occurs in urban, suburban and rural communities alike across the United States.

“We got a serious gun problem in America. We know what happened in the state of Maine last week,” he said.

“This is a problem of not being able to resolve conflicts through restorative practices and peaceful solutions. Until that is addressed on a national level and a state level, then your local communities and municipalities will have these issues.”