Following an assault incident at Park City's Treasure Mountain Junior High School, the Park City Board of Education has sent a statement to families.
A video circulating on social media shows one boy assaulting another. Summit County Sheriff's Department and the school district are still investigating the incident. There are no charges filed as of this report.
The Park City School District's safe school's policy outlines next steps.
It says viral distribution of the video may have caused additional disruption to students and the school district. Those who took the video and then distributed it may face disciplinary action under the school policy.
The Board of Education and Administration asks parents to talk with students about the appropriate use of social media and what they share with friends online.
The administration cautions that any acts of retaliation would result in severe consequences.
Due to the violent nature of the assault, they're providing additional counseling services at Treasure Mountain Junior High.
KPCW will continue to follow this ongoing story.
The following is the letter the Park City Board of Education sent to the school community:
August 29, 2021
To Our Park City Community,
We are writing in light of what happened last week at Treasure Mountain Junior High and collectively acknowledge that what took place last week is not a reflection of the Park City School District. We would like to assure you that Park City School District, its Board of Education, Administrative, Educational and Support Personnel, are working to ensure that our students are safe, supported, engaged, challenged and healthy as we return to school on Monday.
When a violation of policy and safe school violations are committed, such as the physical altercation at TMJH last week, Policy 10100: Safe Schools comes into play as the guiding document for review and investigation. A first step following any incident is to ensure those involved are safe and unharmed. In the case of a minor, parents are contacted. Then, an investigation in alignment with the policies and procedures is conducted. Next, planning is underway to ensure the social and emotional well-being of observers and the entire school is attended to expediently as it will be on Monday, August 30, 2021. Those involved have a right to privacy under FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
The students involved in the situation will be disciplined with appropriate consequences by the administration at the conclusion of the serious incident investigation. Consequences remain a part of the student record and are not broadly shared.
The Treasure Mountain Junior High School administration was made aware of a Snapchat video, Facebook posts, and other social media information and misinformation that has been circulated and posted. Law enforcement is in the process of conducting a detailed investigation into the physical altercation that took place at the school last week. When a situation like this occurs involving juvenile students there is often misinformation which can lead to speculation and puts students at risk for retaliation on both sides of the issue.
We are aware that this incident and how it manifested across social media has had a deep impact on this community. Please know that as students return to school on Monday, additional school counselors will be on hand to address any specific student questions or concerns. As is appropriate, our educational team will provide appropriate time and space to address the incident in a manner that provides acknowledgment and moves us, as a school community, towards healing and closure.
Any time social media or violation of school rules and norms causes disruption in the school it falls under the district discipline policy. The actions and subsequent posts did cause a disruption in the school learning environment, and this matter is then addressed not only from a disciplinary lens but also from a restorative justice perspective. Professional staff, trained in trauma informed practices, are available to support students. Throughout the day, additional counselors will be available at TMJH in the event of student questions or concerns at the TMJH counseling offices.
The administration cautions that any acts of retaliation towards any students will be dealt with strictly and with severe consequences.
Parents, we ask that you continue to work with our schools and use this time to talk with your student(s) about the proper use of social media and what they share with their friends online. As we consider the highly visible video that has been broadly shared, we consider the ongoing negative impact to the students involved in that altercation and its distraction to the work at hand. Each of us recognizes that this incident was counter to our DNA as a school system and counter to all that we believe about school, schooling, and our community. As we combat Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, Hazing, Discrimination and Retaliation together, it takes every member of our community to restore safety, security and belonging for our students and our school community.
Sincerely,
Park City School District
Board of Education
Administration
