WASHINGTON — Parents concerned about their children's safety are meeting with police and school representatives after ammunition was found in a classroom of a D.C. elementary school earlier this week.
Nearly 50 parents gathered outside Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School to ask questions and voice concerns. Representatives from MPD, DCPS, and the elementary school's administration answered questions. Parents tell WUSA9, a parent volunteering inside the classroom Monday found the bullet. Parents say they're upset because no backpack search was done to make sure a weapon was not in the classroom. 24 hours later four security sweeps were done and came up clean. Tuesday night a janitor found another bullet in the same classroom. Parents want to know why police nor administration searched the students' backpacks.
A representative from DCPS at the meeting today said there is currently no policy in place for searching backpacks of elementary students, only secondary school students. Mallory Domingue, whose child was in the classroom where the bullet was found, says the current policy isn’t putting students’ safety first.
"If this happened at any DCPS school across the district every single student is in danger based on DCPS protocol. We are the name of this and the face of this at this moment, but this would be the case and the protocol that administrations across district schools would follow and that is failing our children," said Domingue.
In a letter addressed to parents and families on Wednesday, Ricky Brown, Jr., deputy chief of school security of DC Public Schools, explained what he believed happened, and next steps for the community. Brown said two bullets were found on school grounds.
"Following the discovery of the second unexpected cartridge yesterday evening, the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of its Canine Patrol Unit, completed additional sweeps of the building and concluded no further weapons or weapons paraphernalia were found," Brown said in the letter dated Oct. 30.
Brown said investigators believe the bullets may have been picked up from the Ludlow-Taylor playground and then brought into the classroom.
"For context, the school's playground recently transitioned from a community playground, secured by a combination lock with the combination widely known within and beyond the community, to usage being limited to Ludlow-Taylor students," Brown explained in the letter. "The area has been cleaned since the transition, but we believe it is possible prohibited items may have been left on the playground."
Brown said the school recently purchased a new lock, and school leaders met with DC Police to develop a more comprehensive safety plan. Next steps include:
- Scheduling more comprehensive and frequent safety sweeps of the playground
- Updating Ludlow-Taylor's security cameras
- Incorporating best safety practices into the school's visitor policy
Despite these promised changes, parents WUS9 spoke with are upset about what happened at the school. DC Police continue to investigate. WUSA9 asked DCPS representatives on scene at the school Friday morning if they had a comment, but they told the reporter to email the communications department. When WUSA9 hears back, this article will be updated.