B-CC lockdown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently it’s all fun and games until it happens to a Bethesda school?

There were like a dozen bomb threats in a week in MCPS earlier this year. We didn’t write outraged emails to our representatives because this kind of stuff just happens at schools.

This doesn’t sound like your run of the mill bomb threat (which Blair had several times last year). This was much more. These parents have a right to be concerned.
signed,
Blair parent

[Anonymous]

I work in downtown Bethesda. I was at the Chipotle last week at lunch and there was a contingent of BCC students outside. They were menacing and out of control; there was no adult supervision, and office workers were going out of their way to avoid the area. Loud cursing (f this, mf, etc.), screaming, chasing, crazy behavior. This simply didn't happen five years ago (I've worked in Bethesda for 25 years.) There is something very bad going on at BCC. To pretend otherwise is to be willfully blind. I understand why parents want to deny, because it stinks, but they need to get real and demand action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My BCC student is reporting that there was a man in the school today with a firearm. There is a recording that is circulating among students. They are all really shaken up.

My BCC student hasn’t heard this at all. There were/are so many rumors flying around, including on this thread (about it being the same student from Monday, etc.), that turned out not to be true.

Your student should ask around. My son has video of men with bullet proof vests and helmets and some seriously large guns (I'm sorry - I'm not a gun expert) coming into a classroom.
Kids were sitting at their desks while I assume these police were sweeping the room. I'm not against what the police were doing - just reporting what was happening.
I believe it was the AP Spanish exam.

The parent who copied the BCC listsrv on his letter to county council members also included a photo of a different police officer carrying his weapon.

I can assure you that these are not rumors and most of us would assume police are armed in a situation like this.

We've got two problems on our hands:
1) Kids are a little shaken by what happened today and the police presence
2) Kids are desensitized to all of this and we have another problem on our hands

Some junior at BCC was on Fox laughing about it all. He tried to compose himself after the reporter mentioned his laughing. He was probably a bad choice for the interview but he reflects a certain group who were probably more excited about school closing and are used to these types of events at BCC.

While I agree that this was not a good choice of interviewee, I would also also point out that it is likely a stress response albeit an inappropriate one.
I have teens in mcps and am without words to express my feelings at the moment. I am glad everyone at BCC came home safely today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was there today also. What we have been told is it was a swatting event and they said they had a rifle and pipe bombs hence the police response and room to room sweeps. This has nothing to do with the kid from Monday and it was reported the call was not even local. You can go back in the thread and read all of this.

I am very upset by what happened today and Monday because the real overall problem and the absolute gut rage and desperation I feel is because in today’s society we cannot keep our kids safe. Not at school, the movie theater, a concert, college campus, in a kindergarten classroom, anywhere. We have made voting choices in this country that have led to this and here we are. We care more about weapons and glorifying violence and cowboys than we do the safety of our children.

The counties and schools and principals and police and parents- all of us-are all trying to survive this absolute insanity. It’s not working. Today was awful and I just feel absolute sadness.

Well put.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in downtown Bethesda. I was at the Chipotle last week at lunch and there was a contingent of BCC students outside. They were menacing and out of control; there was no adult supervision, and office workers were going out of their way to avoid the area. Loud cursing (f this, mf, etc.), screaming, chasing, crazy behavior. This simply didn't happen five years ago (I've worked in Bethesda for 25 years.) There is something very bad going on at BCC. To pretend otherwise is to be willfully blind. I understand why parents want to deny, because it stinks, but they need to get real and demand action.

Action to do what exactly? Not accept kids with behavior problems? Look, my kid goes there, I don’t like hearing this but I am not sure what kind of action you think we can take. Please enlighten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently it’s all fun and games until it happens to a Bethesda school?

There were like a dozen bomb threats in a week in MCPS earlier this year. We didn’t write outraged emails to our representatives because this kind of stuff just happens at schools.

This exactly. If folks have a problem with the communication take it up with the principal and central office. But response to a bomb threat come from MCPD.

And yes kids are desensitized to bomb threats and somewhat to weapons in school because these are not new issues or rare occurrences 2024. Not sure why BCC residents think they are exempt from these issues. If you want meaningful resolution to them you are going to have to reach higher than the county council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently it’s all fun and games until it happens to a Bethesda school?

There were like a dozen bomb threats in a week in MCPS earlier this year. We didn’t write outraged emails to our representatives because this kind of stuff just happens at schools.

What a disgusting comment to make.

Why didn’t you write outraged emails to your elected representatives????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in downtown Bethesda. I was at the Chipotle last week at lunch and there was a contingent of BCC students outside. They were menacing and out of control; there was no adult supervision, and office workers were going out of their way to avoid the area. Loud cursing (f this, mf, etc.), screaming, chasing, crazy behavior. This simply didn't happen five years ago (I've worked in Bethesda for 25 years.) There is something very bad going on at BCC. To pretend otherwise is to be willfully blind. I understand why parents want to deny, because it stinks, but they need to get real and demand action.

Action to do what exactly? Not accept kids with behavior problems? Look, my kid goes there, I don’t like hearing this but I am not sure what kind of action you think we can take. Please enlighten.

Build a school for those kids and get special staff. I’m sure the county has $$ to make it happen.

[Anonymous]

My heart breaks for the BCC kids and their families. This is traumatizing.

From the reporting it sounds like the emergency response was immediate and massive. I hope and think this suggests our local law enforcement is well prepared and ready to go. I hope we never need it but we probably will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently it’s all fun and games until it happens to a Bethesda school?

There were like a dozen bomb threats in a week in MCPS earlier this year. We didn’t write outraged emails to our representatives because this kind of stuff just happens at schools.

This exactly. If folks have a problem with the communication take it up with the principal and central office. But response to a bomb threat come from MCPD.

And yes kids are desensitized to bomb threats and somewhat to weapons in school because these are not new issues or rare occurrences 2024. Not sure why BCC residents think they are exempt from these issues. If you want meaningful resolution to them you are going to have to reach higher than the county council.

Exactly. Please start a petition for ALL MCPS families to sign. Each school is affected somehow or another. Write to your Delegates and Senators in Annapolis. Go to the Governor. County Exec and MoCo Council - dont bother with them, vote them out. And where was a Superintendent today or BOE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in downtown Bethesda. I was at the Chipotle last week at lunch and there was a contingent of BCC students outside. They were menacing and out of control; there was no adult supervision, and office workers were going out of their way to avoid the area. Loud cursing (f this, mf, etc.), screaming, chasing, crazy behavior. This simply didn't happen five years ago (I've worked in Bethesda for 25 years.) There is something very bad going on at BCC. To pretend otherwise is to be willfully blind. I understand why parents want to deny, because it stinks, but they need to get real and demand action.

Action to do what exactly? Not accept kids with behavior problems? Look, my kid goes there, I don’t like hearing this but I am not sure what kind of action you think we can take. Please enlighten.

Build a school for those kids and get special staff. I’m sure the county has $$ to make it happen.

We need to build a special school for the violent students. The ones who bring guns to school. Right now they do stints in one facility, then get transfered out to other MCPS high schools. Some problem kids get shuffled around multiple high schools before they age out and "graduate".

The behaviors of a few ruins the school experience for the majority and places enormous stress on adult teachers and staff. IT IS NOT RIGHT.

Get those violent kids out our schools, and keep them in special public schools specifically built for them. I am willing to pay more taxes for this!

[Anonymous]

Neighbor kid said today's BCC lockdown was over 2 hours long and then a shelter in place before school ended for the day. What were police doing for that long?

[Anonymous]

The teachers didn't know what was going on inside. Some trying to protect students in classroom not knowing anything. Shame on MCPs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neighbor kid said today's BCC lockdown was over 2 hours long and then a shelter in place before school ended for the day. What were police doing for that long?

The threat was called at around 11:30am, lockdown implemented, the police arrived, and I suppose took some time to set-up and confer with admin. Police dog teams cleared each schoolroom and all storage and closets one by one, gave the all clear, and THEN there was a shelter in place, not quite sure why. Dismissal was at the regular time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Neighbor kid said today's BCC lockdown was over 2 hours long and then a shelter in place before school ended for the day. What were police doing for that long?

The threat was called at around 11:30am, lockdown implemented, the police arrived, and I suppose took some time to set-up and confer with admin. Police dog teams cleared each schoolroom and all storage and closets one by one, gave the all clear, and THEN there was a shelter in place, not quite sure why. Dismissal was at the regular time.

It wasn't a drill? Fit between lunch time and regular dismissal time?