The superintendent of Michigan’s Oxford Community Schools said “no discipline was warranted” when accused shooter Ethan Crumbley met with high school officials before Tuesday’s deadly rampage.
In his first comments since the attack, which were recorded and posted to YouTube, Tim Throne touched on the meetings that included Crumbley, school administrators — and even the suspect’s parents.
“I want you to know that there has been a lot of talk about the student who was apprehended,” Throne said, without naming Crumbley.
“That he was called up to the office, and all that kind of stuff. No discipline was warranted. There are no discipline records at the high school,” the superintendent said.
It was revealed earlier Thursday that two teachers at Oxford high raised red flags over Crumbley’s conduct earlier in the week.
The 15-year-old suspect “had a counseling session” with school officials on Monday after a teacher witnessed “something that she felt was disturbing in terms of” Crumbley’s behavior, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told CNN’s “New Day.”
School officials also made a phone call to Crumbley’s parents that day, Bouchard said.
“The day of the shooting, a different teacher in a different classroom saw some behavior that they felt was concerning and they brought the child down to an office, had a meeting with school officials, called in the parents,” the sheriff said.
“And ultimately it was determined that he could go back into class.”
Throne, in his comments, acknowledged Tuesday’s meeting, which took place roughly three hours before Crumbley is accused of fatally shooting four students and wounding 7 other people at the school.
“Yes, this student did have contact with our front office. And yes, his parents were on campus Nov. 30 … this is as much information as we can give you today” the superintendent said.
Bouchard said the decision to let Crumbley go back to class Tuesday “will all be part of the investigation in terms of what they thought and why they thought that was the right step.”
Throne said the school is expected to remain closed for weeks as the investigation continues.
“This high school is like a wreck right now,” Throne said, likening it to a “war zone.”