Violence in McKinley impacts Buffalo schools

The stabbing of a 15-year-old student in a hallway at McKinley High School on Monday – the third day of the new school year – was a reminder of the dangerous actions of a few students at a single school that can have consequences for the entire school district.

Regardless of title or rank, no one is spared, as was evident Tuesday when the injured teenager was still at Erie County Medical Center.

“We want to make sure people know we care about them,” says Jessica Bauer Walker, president of the Community Health Worker Network, a parent group in the district that includes students.

She is among many people concerned about safety in city schools, a central theme in Superintendent Tonja M. Williams Knight's strategic plan.

The superintendent hired a record number of security guards and created new security leadership positions. Artificial intelligence-based gun detection systems have been installed throughout the district, dominating building entrances and even being used at sporting events – a push toward a less intrusive and more effective system than the detectors and metal detectors of previous administrations.

Last year, the Buffalo School Board asked the superintendent to develop and implement a violence reduction plan.

Nevertheless, the challenges remain complex.

Principals fear that their school could be the next scene of violence. While they increase vigilance and enforce compliance, if their disciplinary actions attract the attention of the school district, they fear their position could be in jeopardy.

How teachers should respond to school fights with regard to their own safety was widely discussed this spring.

Especially after incidents, parents have spoken about not feeling safe sending their children back to school, and students describe certain school environments in which they do not feel safe at school board meetings and parent-teacher meetings.

Even with so much attention paid to safety, violent incidents still occur, including a stabbing outside Riverside in the fall of 2023 and Monday's incident in McKinley. These were followed by a shooting and stabbing in McKinley and a stabbing at Buffalo Culinary seven months later in 2022 under former Superintendent Kriner Cash.

What is the district's best response?

The Buffalo News on Tuesday asked Williams Knight, Walker and the president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation for their thoughts on this safety problem that won't go away.

Tonya M. Williams Knight: The principal reiterated the safety measures she has put in place in a lengthy statement Tuesday. A recent addition is a partnership the district has with local judges to supervise students, she said. She stressed that Monday's incident was not the result of the school, but of a conflict that originated outside in July.

However, her central message was an instruction to the families.

“If your child tells you that he or she is having difficulties with another student, please tell one of the adults at your child's school,” Williams Knight wrote. “And students who notice something should speak up – they should tell an adult, too.”

Williams Knight reiterated the importance of meaningful communication and regular vigilance to stop problems that arise outside of school but pose a threat within.

“I urge parents and families to talk to their children, monitor their social media activity and be mindful of who they spend their time with,” she wrote. “If parents or students feel unsafe or are facing certain difficulties, they should tell someone at school. There are adults at all of our schools who can help.”

Rich Nigro, President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation: Nigro said he attended meetings between administrators and teachers at McKinley after school on Monday. Part of the discussion, he said, revolved around what needs to be done to effectively discipline the few students who consistently cause problems.

Suspending offenders can temporarily bring order to the classroom, but that tactic alone doesn't deter those students — as evidenced by the repeated violations and sometimes escalating violence, district teachers say. Teachers are suspicious of the district's process for getting suspended students back into classrooms, Nigro says. In October, the school board committed to developing a plan to get suspended students back into classrooms.

Because Buffalo Schools cannot exclude students, the Academy School, the district's alternative program, is often viewed as a destination for students with serious behavioral issues. The use of this school was addressed in Monday's meetings, but according to last year's figures, more than 90% of these students are consistently absent.

“You can’t just move the children from one building to another,” Nigro said of a possible solution.

The union president said there is hope that security will improve in the new school year. Security guards, teachers, staff and employees will build positive relationships with students, which is an effective way to prevent conflicts in the first place.

“Many of these relationships have not yet been established,” Nigro said.

Jessica Bauer Walker, President of the Community Health Worker Network: Farmer Walker said her biggest concern is for those who experienced trauma at McKinley.

Bauer Walker, a student wellness advocate and opponent of suspension policies, called violence a public health problem.

“It is related to (a person’s) mental, emotional and behavioral health and well-being,” she said.

A “cultural change” regarding student well-being has not taken place, said Bauer Walker. As a result, every incident of violence is mainly responded to with reactive measures that distract from the actual cause.

“When we ask our students if there are morning check-ins or if there are recovery circles when there are conflicts, by and large that is not a widespread practice at the moment,” she said.

The result is that the belief that violence is part of the norm is prevalent, she added. Many parents and students feel “that will not change,” said Bauer Walker.

“It may calm down for a while, but then it will come back,” she said.