Following the student protest that turned hostile last week, Little Elm High School officials have decided to hold a “listening session.”
Last Friday, police were called to the school to assist with a protest by students that became disruptive. After police arrived, however, the incident got out of hand. Students allegedly assaulted and lunged at police and officers resorted to using stun guns and chemical spray.
Last Friday’s police and student altercations were captured by some participants with their cell phones. The footage was shared with NBC News and parents. Since Friday, many parents are concerned with what happened inside the school and how the police responded to the protest.
On Sunday, Superintendent Daniel Gallagher sent families and students a letter.
“What led to Friday’s student protest hits us at the core of who we are and we have to find a way to restore the trust you need in order for all of us to move forward,” Gallagher shared in his letter.
Gallagher laid out what he would like to discuss at the listening session. Some of the topics include creating an independent committee to review Little Elm ISD’s sexual misconduct reporting and investigation process, a review of Friday’s incident, and launching an independent investigation into the alleged sexual harassment incident that caused students to protest.
On Monday evening, Superintendent Gallagher then appeared in a video message with Mayor Curtis Cornelius to make a joint statement on the matter.
“This is a very upsetting time in our community,” Mayor Cornelius said. Both the mayor and the superintendent went on to discuss the behavior of the students during the protest and the police’s response.
The superintendent has planned to hold the listening session following the Thanksgiving break on November 30 at 6 p.m. in the Little Elm High School Auditorium.
