A Teacher Propped A Door Open?
More disturbing information is being released about the Robb Elementary School mass shooting
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CRITICAL UPDATE: On May 31, 2022, CNN and other news outlets reported that Texas officials revised their account of what took place at Robb Elementary School. A teacher did not leave a door propped open that allowed the shooter access into the school.
As a writer, I apologize for responding to all the misinformation that was shared with the public on too many platforms to quantify. I will leave this story on my platform to circulate this update. Ultimately, I will delete it.
Thank you.
School leaders and teachers everywhere continue to work under stressful conditions because their safety and the safety of their students must be preserved at school. As a former teacher and school administrator, I understand how much pressure educators are under to ensure that every detail of their schoolwide safety protocols is adhered to. And this must be done while the differentiated academic, mental, and behavioral health needs of each student are also being met as well as performing other professional duties.
I did not write this story to criticize educators or to demean all that they do. Instead, this story has been written to highlight the importance of following every component of their school safety plan.
People across the globe have been gripped by sadness, grief, and disbelief as all the details of the latest mass shooting in the United States continue to be released. So many precious souls were murdered. So many families have been destroyed. So many human beings have been traumatized.
But this was not the first incident of mass casualties impacting a school.
School shootings have continued to grow in frequency over the past few decades throughout the nation. In response to these incidents, safety measures have been put into place in every type of school everywhere. Over the years, school personnel, community first responders, and consultants have unified efforts to create safety plans to ensure the safety of students and faculty members during events where security and safety are compromised. Many parents have been involved in this process and school leaders have kept them apprised of the safety protocols their children must adhere to. Students of all ages have been involved, too. They have joined teachers, principals, and other school workers by participating in various drills so that everyone at the school is aware of the actions that must be taken during a safety crisis.
School leaders have been responsible for revising their school plans and giving staff members reminders about their obligations to maintain a safe and secure learning environment.
But this was not enough at Robb Elementary School. And to be honest, following safety procedures and holding teachers responsible for following them was not enough for me when I was a school principal in several different settings.
My Recollections
Despite incidents of security breaches in schools across the United States and the mass shootings that erupted repeatedly at these schools, I struggled to keep my former buildings secure. Even though safety plans were in the hands of every faculty member and security procedures were outlined as well as practiced, one protocol was often ignored. And it was blatantly disregarded.
It did not matter how many warnings and reprimands I gave. Some teachers and other faculty members notoriously propped school doors open for various reasons. While most violators could not be identified because security cameras had not been installed at that time, some were observed violating this protocol.
The most common reasons why school employees propped the doors of the school open while school was in the session included these excuses:
- Since my buildings lacked air-conditioning, some teachers left outside doors open to cool off their classroom environments and to circulate fresh air.
- When items were left in automobiles in the parking lot, some professionals propped doors open to retrieve their belongings. Instead of using the front door of the school that was closely monitored and walking a longer distance to and from their car, many faculty members did this.
- There were times that staff members who were running late asked co-workers to prop a door open close to their classroom to enable them to quickly enter the building.
- Some of the staff members who wanted to take a break to smoke off school property during their designated planning time or lunch period often left a door open to save a little time upon their return to the school.
- Some teachers on recess duty failed to follow the procedures for using a designated key to reenter the school with their students. They propped the playground door open instead.
Because safety did not matter to those who violated the school safety requirement to keep all outside doors closed and locked from the outside at all times, I needed to take administrative action against them. That’s how important that safety protocol was.
A Devastating Lesson Learned
The mass shooting at Robb Elementary School reinforces the importance of adhering to every procedure embedded in a school safety plan.
Every safety protocol matters. None can be ignored nor minimized as unimportant.
Regardless of the peaceful community that a school is situated in and regardless of the lack of concern associated with safety and security, no building is immune from the devastating effects of violence.
A Robb Elementary School teacher propped a school door open to go to her car to retrieve her cell phone. That provided an opportunity for a human monster to enter the school and murder 21 innocent souls.
Thank you for reading this story. My prayers are extended to the family of the victims. I also pray for the one who propped the door open which enabled the killer to enter. This person is likely consumed with guilt.
Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is
Copyright © 2022 Dr. Deborah M. Vereen. All rights reserved.
