During 6th period Nov. 22, 2024, the school went into immediate lockdown due to a possibly threatening situation involving a group of parents.

“[Parents became] verbally abusive toward staff members, creating a hostile environment,” Administrative director Jason Camp said.

Following the parents arriving on campus and attempting to talk to administration to discuss the discharge of the football coach and most of the staff, they began to message their children, students at the school, to leave their classes and walk to the front of the school during the last class before students left for Thanksgiving break. Video footage obtained from a student’s phone showed individuals gathered on the service road in front of the gym causing a commotion.

“Approximately 20 parents entered the campus through the front foyer without stopping at the security desk to follow the required visitation procedures and protocols,” Camp said. “Once inside, the group proceeded to several offices, ignoring repeated requests to follow visitor protocols, demanding to speak with an administrator.”

Administration decided to place the school under lockdown to ensure student safety due to the uninvited individuals on campus who could possibly pose a threat.

“[The parents] posed a serious safety risk to the entire school community,” Camp said. “Given the potential for chaos and the increasingly belligerent behavior of the group, the decision was made to initiate a lockdown to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff.”

During the lockdown, students were not informed about the details of the situation, and many heard different possibilities, such as an armed parent or a large protest going on outside the front gates. After the incident had been de-escalated, rumors continued about why it happened.

“When the lockdown started, I was in my economics class and no one knew what was going on,” senior Victoria Rosario said. “My teacher just locked the door, closed the blinds and no one knew what was going on. I thought that there might have been a shooter at school.”

Students began to take charge of the situation on social media, and petitions to remove specific staff personnel involved in the incident were shared. As of now, Royals have not been informed of any staff members that have been removed. After the event, the school is currently working with the Safety Committee to develop a two-tier system of lockdowns that include a Category 1 and 2 to give the students and staff a better understanding of a situation’s danger level to prevent panic and anxiety. The first category is reserved for situations involving a potential but non-immediate risk to safety, such as medical emergencies or events requiring controlled movement on campus. The second one is for situations involving a credible and immediate threat to safety, such as an armed suspect in the vicinity.

“I like the new system because it allows you to know the degree of the situation,” junior Eva Banafsheha said.

The lockdown at school was a terrifying ordeal for students while it lasted. The administration swiftly started a lockdown to ensure the safety of students and staff, but whether or not it was the right call is still up for debate.

“I was thinking, ‘Oh my God the shooter’s gonna walk in the class and shoot everyone and I’m gonna be the first one to die,’” Rosario said.

Any staff members involved are not permitted to speak on the topic.