Hi North Adams Families,
As clarified in an article by the Berkshire Eagle yesterday, the pepper spray incident in the Drury library earlier this week was not an intentional attempt to harm anyone, and was neither used in self-defense nor as an intentional "attack" against anyone in the building. Unfortunately, WNYT Albany NewsChannel 13 reported inaccurate information this morning and other news agencies may pick up their inaccurate report.
The North Adams Public School investigation into the incident has shown that the student was speaking with a friend in the library and then decided to spray the device into the air, "wondering what would happen." The actions of the student did lead to students and staff members seeking medical attention, but the spray was not directed at any of them.
The actions of the student involve multiple violations of the Drury Student Handbook, and as indicated previously, the student was removed from the building and the school is pursuing charges against the student.
Safety in the North Adams Public Schools is extremely important, and each school has a School Safety Management Team that responds to incidents and provides both advance planning to ensure safety and conducts a debrief after each incident. In the case of the situation earlier this week at Drury, the student brought contraband into school, caused a disruptive and dangerous situation, and the incident was addressed swiftly and throughly.
For more information about safety planning and response, please visit the North Adams Public Schools website, and you can find further information about policies and expectations regarding student conduct in each of the school handbooks.
If you have any additional questions, please contact district Family Supports at familysupports@napsk12.org