NBC REPORTER'S ILLEGAL ACCESS TO TUSCAN SCHOOL SPARKS SAFETY CONCERNS, SPECIAL MEETING

School safety has been the issue the past few days at Tuscan School after a television reporter was able to gain access to the school last Thursday in an apparent attempt to show how poor school safety is in the wake of recent tragedies at places like the Newtown, CT. school, where the deadly shooting of dozens of youngsters occurred a year ago on Friday.

As the letter below from Tuscan School principal Malikah Majeed indicates, the reporter, NBC's Jeff Rossen, pressed the front door call box, was given access, but did not report to the office and proceeded elsewhere in the school. He was later found and told the school he was a reporter seeking to prove access was easy.

Jeff Rossen

It seemed to work and sparked the Majeed letter, but also concern from many parents who have been reaching out for answers. For one, why weren't police called for this trespasser?

Two other letters, also below, from Tuscan PTA President Alan Stephenson were sent in an attempt to respond to worried parents. They also indicate a school safety committee meeting will be held 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Tuscan to try to address the problems with such easy access.




All related letters are below:

TUSCAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Office of the Principal

25 Harvard Avenue  Maplewood  New Jersey 07040

Malikah Tamar Majeed, Principal                                                                                            973-378-5221

December 5, 2013 

Dear Tuscan Family~

I wish to extend my thanks to the Tuscan community of students, teachers, support staff and parents for a highly successful 59 days of school. This school year began with such enthusiasm, energy and our resolve to make the best learning experiences possible for each and every student. We look forward to continuing our positive interactions with parents throughout this school year. 

Please know that the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Today a reporter for NBC visited a number of different schools in Essex County, including Tuscan School, as part of a story they are producing on school safety.  Rather than following the standard protocol of reporting to the office upon arrival to sign in, the reporter proceeded immediately and without hesitation in the direction opposite the main office. Office staff quickly began a search when the visitor did not report to the office, and intercepted him already returning to the office. Upon signing in, he identified himself as a reporter, and requested a meeting with the principal regarding a news story about schools.  He also provided a driver’s license and contact information to the office staff, upon request, prior to exiting the building.  

Throughout the school year safety and security practices are thoroughly reviewed, evaluated and updated on a

routine basis. The school administration was deeply concerned by this irregularity and immediately took action to investigate the incident. Our subsequent investigation revealed that the investigative reporter was in fact seeking information for a story that is scheduled for broadcast next week. Information about the intended broadcast will be shared as it becomes available. 

The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. Moving forward, as we continue to reinforce our established safety practices, we ask for your partnership and cooperation in contributing to the overall security of Tuscan School.  Please help us in the following ways:

Ø  Know that our school must remain locked at all times.

Ø  Unauthorized visitors are prohibited, and cameras monitor all who enter our building. 

Ø  Visitors at any time during the day are to only enter the school through the main entrance on Harvard Avenue.  While this may be an inconvenience for some visitors, it is an essential step to secure the building.

Ø  When at the front door buzzing in, please announce your name and purpose for visiting to the front office staff. Be patient if clarifying questions are asked.

Ø  Please do not hold open the door for other visitors. Each visitor must announce themselves and state their purpose.  

Ø  All visitors at any time during the day MUST to report directly to the front office.  Once there, you are to sign in, announce your intention, and wait for direction. This procedure does not change afterschool.

Should you have questions about this incident or our security procedures, please reach out to me or Mr. Mason directly via email, phone or in person. Please know that Tuscan School administration is committed to ensuring the health, safety and well-being of Tuscan’s children in every possible way.

Sincerely,

 Ms. Majeed 

 -------------------------------

Fellow Tuscan Parents - I am writing a follow-up to Ms. Majeed's e-mail letter this week, as many of you have reached out to me requesting more specific information.  Like most of you, I found last week's events disturbing on many levels.  While I certainly cannot speak for all Tuscan PTA members or the administration/district, I am happy to share with you what I know about the event.  The visitor in question was Jeff Rossen, an investigative reporter for NBC who specializes in hidden camera "gotcha" pieces for the network's various news shows.  It was clear he was looking for a story on school security, and perhaps was actually there to "create" the story himself.  It has since come to my attention that he's working on a piece about school safety to air on the anniversary of the New Town, CT shooting next week.  It is my understanding that our office staff followed their standard procedures, which was to get his name/info over the intercom, then buzz him in with instructions to come straight to the office.  When he didn't immediately show up in the office (around a minute had passed), Ms. Toledo went to retrieve him from the hallway.  He then asked to interview Ms. Majeed -     "a story about schools," was all he said.  Once he was informed that Ms. Majeed was in a meeting with a teacher and all inquiries from the Press are to be dealt with by the District Communications Coordinator, he then exited the building and that was it.  The office staff procured his cell number before his departure.  Ms. Majeed and Mr. Mason immediately conducted an investigation, which included a review of the security tape to verify the above events/time frames. Like you, I want our children to be as safe at school as humanly possible.  In light of this event, I have organized a Principal's Roundtable for next week to address our Tuscan School security issues.  Ms. Majeed and Mr. Mason are anxious to participate, and I've invited representation from the District to attend and answer all questions and concerns from Tuscan parents.  If you wish, please email me your questions/ideas in advance so I can forward to staff (all questions will be anonymous, of course), or just come to our meeting and ask in person (details of the meeting to follow).    In the meantime, if you have questions or I can help further, please contact me. Thank You, ALAN STEPHENSON Tuscan School PTA President ----------------------------- Hi Tuscan Parents – I know safety issues at Tuscan are of paramount importance to you all, especially after last week’s visit from the investigative reporter.  As promised, we have scheduled a Principal’s Roundtable on Safety at our PTA Meeting this Wednesday evening.  Apologies for the late notice, but I was waiting for permission to hold this meeting on Wednesday.  Ms. Majeed and Mr. Mason are anxious to meet with you all to discuss these issues.  I also hope a representative from the District will be present for the discussion. Other good news – I have been in communication with the NBC Producer in charge of the reporter who visited our school.  The producer mirrored my concerns about the safety of our children and said NBC does not plan on mentioning the name or location of our school.   I know I will sleep better tonight knowing this. I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday. PTA MEETING with Principal’s Roundtable on School Safety Tuscan School Auditorium Wednesday, December 11 at 7:30pm Thanks in advance for your attendance and your support. Best, Alan Stephenson Tuscan PTA President