One year later, high schools fear copycat violence

It's a single word that evokes anguish and trepidation.

Columbine.

When contained in a threat, the name of the American high school where - a year ago today - two teenagers shot and killed 13 people and injured 23 others before taking their own lives, is enough to put students, parents, police and school authorities on guard.

After days of threats, rumours and speculation of copycat violence, many Toronto parents have opted to keep their students home today, although all local schools are officially open.

``I hate for her to have to miss time at school, but we've decided to keep her home,'' said one parent of a Toronto Grade 12 Northern Secondary School student. ``You just don't know and that's what's scary.''

In at least eight Toronto and area high schools where threats have been made recently, students will see two uniformed officers patrolling the halls today, and the school's administrators will be more visible.

``Most schools have a plan in place and we will be doing visual and physical sweeps of all the schools,'' said Toronto District School Board chair Gail Nyberg.

``But the answer to whether there's any threat is not yes or no. The answer is we believe we have everything in hand, but I can't reassure parents on any day that nothing will happen in the school,'' Nyberg said yesterday.

Schools were flooded with calls yesterday from parents wanting assurances that their children will be safe on the day before the Easter holidays.

After being inundated with calls since Tuesday, when caretakers found menacing graffiti in three of the girls' washrooms at Northern Secondary School on Mount Pleasant Rd., principal Jackie Scroggie sent a letter to parents last night.

``(In) the majority of cases such behaviour is intended as a prank, but clearly, in today's climate they must be taken seriously,'' Scroggie wrote.

``(Students) are anxious because of the anniversary and their parents are also concerned,'' Scroggie said in an interview.

School board spokesperson Stephanie Bolton said that despite reports attendance is optional for Northern students today, that is not the case and the school will be open.

Northern will have police officers in the halls, as will other schools that have been the target of recent threats, including Oakwood Collegiate Institute on St. Clair Ave. W. An investigation was launched there after graffiti mentioning Columbine was found scrawled on paper towels in the boy's washroom.

Extra security also will be in place at Thornhill and Thornlea Secondary Schools in York Region after school board officials reported receiving warnings of violence today.

Jim Matresky, principal at Leaside High School in East York, said two uniformed officers will be at his school all day, along with a safe-schools officer from the Toronto board.

``I've had many, many calls (from parents), wanting to know what the situation is, if any of the rumours are true, what precautions we are taking, and whether students should be coming to school,'' he said.

He says he hopes parents will send their children to school, but understands if they don't.

Discussions of student safety reached the halls of Queen's Park yesterday, where Ontario Premier Mike Harris noted the first anniversary of the Colorado massacre and local threats.

``We have to be vigilant and take every precaution,'' Harris said.

From border to border this week, threats and arrests have preceded the anniversary.

On Sunday, a 13-year-old girl was charged in connection with a threatening e-mail message sent to 13 students at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Newcastle.

On Tuesday, a 13-year-old former student at a Port Coquitlam middle school in B.C. was arrested and held in custody overnight before being charged with two counts of uttering threats against other students.

In Fredericton, N.B., yesterday, the principal of a high school with a student population of 2,600 sent a letter to parents warning of threats of ``disruption'' on the anniversary date.

David MacMillan, principal of Fredericton High School, said there were rumours of a ``great deal of disruption.'' Classes would not be cancelled today, but he wrote that he expected some students would opt to stay home.

Following the Columbine massacre, Stu Auty, president of the Canadian Safe School Network,said the tragedy couldn't be dismissed as just an American phenomenon. ``When something like this happens, parents here think about the students in the school down the street. Violence has no borders,'' Auty was quoted as saying.

Eight days later there was a shooting in Taber, Alta.

A 15-year-old boy, who reportedly was fascinated with the Columbine shooting, walked into his southern Alberta high school and shot at two students, killing 17-year-old Jason Lang. The teenager has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Courtesy of Torstar/Toronto Star