City Times Staff

STEVENS POINT — Earlier today, it was reported that local police investigated a racial slur and the reference of a shooting from an 18-year-old SPASH student. The following is the official response from school principal Jon Vollendorf that was sent out to SPASH parents, families, and staff.

Dear SPASH Families and Parents:

First and foremost, I want to assure all of our students, parents, staff, and community members that providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students at SPASH is a priority.

Please know we are aware of the social media dialogue regarding an incident at school yesterday where a racially charged statement was made that referenced “shooting.”  We worked promptly with the police department to address the situation. As a result, our police department provided additional presence at school today. Our investigation, to include police, verified that at no time was anyone in immediate danger.

Our message yesterday was in no way intended to minimize or dismiss the seriousness of the behavior.  Our goal is to not only ensure a safe environment but also to reinforce the message that our students are responsible for their behavior.  I recognize that it is frustrating to not know the specific details of an investigation or the consequences for an individual student or students when such situations occur; however, we cannot legally disclose disciplinary action.

More importantly, racism is not, and will not, be tolerated.  Moving forward we will continue to immediately address and resolve situations and behavior that compromise our school’s culture.  This includes continued work with student leaders, parents, and faculty to proactively provide and create opportunities to learn about inclusivity and multicultural sensitivity.

Our community moves forward when we work together to support each other and I welcome your feedback, insight, and assistance in supporting us to achieve our goals of inclusivity and understanding as we prepare our students to be successful.

Jon R. Vollendorf, Ed.D.
Principal
Stevens Point Area Senior High