Gardena High School violated district's weapons-check policy, top LAUSD official says

Gardena High School, where police said a student accidentally discharged a firearm in a classroom and wounded two fellow classmates Tuesday, violated school-district policy because it did not conduct random weapons searches every day, incoming LAUSD Supt. John Deasy said Wednesday morning.

Deasy said a review by district administrators showed school-district policy required random weapons searches daily.

At Gardena High School, Deasy said, "that did not occur."

"I can't tell you that that would have discovered this individual," he said, but the district will be interviewing staff responsible for security at the school to determine why the policy was not being followed.

Deasy made the comments outside the high school before a meeting with parents. School and district administrators planned to discuss Tuesday's shooting, the condition of the wounded students and security at the school, among other topics.

On Wednesday morning, staff members searched backpacks and scanned many students with metal detectors as they entered the school gates. A long line of students snaked a few hundred feet outside the school, moving slowly before the morning bell rang.

Students said that before Tuesday's shooting, weapons checks rarely took place, though school officials would routinely screen students for dress-code violations, like low-cut shirts.

Cortney Hullaby, an 11th-grader, said that last week one of her teachers asked students if they felt safe in any of their classes.

"I said no, because you never know what someone has in their backpack," she said, "So I don't trust anyone."

RELATED:

Gardena shooting victims 'fortunate' to be alive

Random weapon searches occurred 'once in a blue moon,' Gardena student says

Photos: Gardena High shooting

-- Tony Barboza in Gardena

Photo: The incoming head of the Los Angeles Unified School District, John Deasy, speaks to the media while students line up for a security check upon their arrival at Gardena High School on Wednesday. Credit: Nick Ut / Associated Press

Comments

[Rrrreally?]

Brilliant idea! Use metal detectors and random searches AFTER the fact, when those that would usually bring weapons to school will expect searches for the next couple of weeks and leave them somewhere else, hidden, off campus.

[T. Beckham]

The problem is that the staff is dealing with a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. If they do hold random searches, they'll have the ACLU complaining bitterly about the rights of students. If they don't have random searches, there are complaints about safety issues, and scenarios like what happened yesterday. What policies can be put into place so that all of the kids feel safe? Are they willing to justify those policies to satisfy the ACLU?

[rickn6900]

Good job Mr. Deasy! Run your mouth now watch for the negligence lawsuits to come out.

[RatdogCA]

17 years old and a sophomore. Not too bright.

He had his hand in the backpack and was messing with the gun when it went off...in the classroom.

Hey, but don't worry, everyone will sue the school and the only losers are the taxpayers.

[thecanimalsHusband]

There should be a district wide policy condemning the firing of weapons in classrooms from now on.

[Frankincarson]

Stop kids from carrying backpacks. Issue them mesh laundry bags. Nothing else should get in!

[j]

You could go a step further and ask the incoming Sup why the LAUSD was not conducting internal checks to make sure each school was following proper protocol? The district probably did not fund the school correctly in order for them to conduct random searches...you cant do random searches of students without cause. you can use metal detectors on a daily basis as students enter school. Shame on the Sup for placing blame so quickly!

[LA Girl]

This is insane. How can you blame security personnel of maybe 10 people because they didn't discover a weapon on one of thousands of students.....in a random search.

This is the problem with this district. Bad math and bad logic.

[commonman13]

I think it is time for all schools , especially the bad ones, I think the schools and the admins know who they are. These schools need to conduct daily search, a very vigorous one and send a very strong warning that anybody caught with any weapon will be suspended immediately. All the parents need to be informed in a letter or they should do an event to make this major announcement. It is pathetic that in a developed country, we have people behaving and acting like thugs and gangsters. It is time to stop this nonsense and madness

[Robert NO longer in LA]

ZERO standards are in place within LAUSD, and the Gardena Principal should be FIRED FOR CAUSE....of course, the unions and the politicians are in bed together, so YOUR kids are at GRAVE RISK. Time to FLUSH the entire cabal of incestuous 'you scratch my back, and I'll cover your as..........' WAKE UP, voters...when, will TOO MUCh, ever be 'ENOUGH!'?????

[West Valley Dave]

Words mean nothing. The taxpayers are looking for actions. We didn't get it from Grandpa Cortines. Put up or shut up, Dude.

[David]

Hopefully, the administrators will be fired. Weapons checks are an administrative responsibility and one of the reasons why they are paid the big bucks. I can assure you that the administration in many LAUSD inner-city schools willfully ignore doing weapons checks because they are "too busy".

LA Times - lay off beating up the teachers and focus on the real problem in LAUSD: imcompetent and/or lazy administrators.

[GOSSIP JUNKIE<3]

how SCARY!:O

[EnemyOfTheState]

Nice photo of the barn door after it's been closed. Now if we could close all of the LAUSD failure factories, we would not require this measure, would we?

They act in YOUR name.

[thecanimalsHusband]

It's getting to the point where you can't even fire a gun in class anymore without causing an uproar with the administration.

[Astonished]

Does anyone here REALLY believe that metal detectors and wands will stop the violence. Weapons can be made of material OTHER THAN metal, you know.

[Dan]

Schools requiring daily weapons searches is a sign of a sick community. Clean your act up, you losers.

[Llomivi]

Lock up for life for both parents and that kid.

[IloveLA]

Have the TSA checks at schools now

[Where is the accountability???]

It is time to get Real about our city and kids.

Come on LAUSD you are doing a shoddy job in education and protecting these students. Who can really blame a kid in the intercity for bringing a gun to school for protection??? The predators are within the schools and outside of the schools. LAUSD and elected officials are afraid to lay blame on the folks that are not holding up their integral part of the bargain- the parents and the surrounding communities.
Everyone knows who the bullies are, who the gang members are and who the community thugs and misfits are. Stop complaining folks, it is up to you to notify the authorities who these terrorist are-and send them off to prison. A simple telephone call from a pay phone will do the job.
If you do not identify the thugs why should I or anyone else care what happens to your kids and your community.

[meglio]

Instead of blaming the school, where were the parents of the gun-toting student??

[Mommy]

This student was being bullied at school, he probably went to a teacher or a counselor and they didn't do a thing about it. So, he put it upon himself to protect himself by bringing in a gun to school. I'm not saying what he did was right, what I am saying is...that the school needs to protect the students of the school not by just doing random bag searches and metal detectors but by listening to student that are making claims they are being bullied. School teachers/officials are suppose to help student before a tragedy happens, not after it happens. So if there are any sueing that needs to be done, sue the school for their lack of concern towards the students.

[cem]

random searches ? really ? They should have walk-through metal detectors and check every student every day! Apparently the safety of adults in airplanes and courtrooms is more important than our children in schools. It is statistically likely that a random search would not have prevented this shooting, even if it was conducted.

[dave]

We who work at schools are always under fire for picking on students and not trusting our students.............If searches are done more than random we are taking their rights away...........And by all means we can't do that!!!!!! Thank the ACLU for that.

[Luis Dublin]

Don't blame it on the District, the school administration or the teachers. Blame it on the ignorant child who brought the gun to school, and his parents who were too preoccupied to know what was going on with their son.