ABBEVILLE — The mother of an Abbeville High School student says her son was threatened in a note by another student.
Marnetta Suriel says the school’s principal did not notify the school’s resource officer, the parish’s superintendent, or her son until after the family asked to file a police report.
Yonathan Suriel, the student’s stepfather said, “What are you trying to hide? What are they trying to cover? Who are they trying to protect?”
The student targeted by the threat, Ethan Stewart, says he does not feel safe to return to school.
“He had all the time to do whatever he was planning to do in the notes to do to me, and I was not notified at all,” Stewart said.
His mother has the same concerns, questioning whether the right steps were taken to protect her son and the other students.
“If [the principal] followed the protocol, that protocol needs to be looked at. We need to have a meeting. The students need to talk about this. We don’t need to wait until I could have been burying my son,” Suriel said.
She added, “What’s the protocol for a human life? Y’all had someone that was going against everyone on campus, not only my son, but everybody’s life was at stake.”
District Safety Officer Brooks David with the Vermilion Parish School District provided a written statement, saying:
“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. When school administrators become aware of any situation that could potentially threaten student safety, the matter is taken very seriously and appropriate protocols are followed.
Because this situation involves students and student discipline, we cannot discuss specific details due to privacy laws. However, I can assure you that the school administration responded to the situation and followed established procedures in coordination with the appropriate authorities.
We will continue to work with school administrators and law enforcement to ensure that our campuses remain safe learning environments for all students.”
