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In a letter to parents, Jeremy Gueldner, President of Vandebilt Catholic High School, addressed the growing number of incorrect narratives circulating the community the incident that occurred at the school last week.

The letter can be viewed in its entirety here: 

 

Dear Parents,


I am writing to you today with an update regarding our school’s response to the incident that occurred on Wednesday, March 9. Unfortunately, social media has spread a number of incorrect narratives and so I thought it best to communicate directly with you so that we, the Vandebilt Catholic community, have a common understanding of the facts and how we have responded.


What happened?

By now, many of you have likely watched the video of the events of that morning. But the following is what took place:


  • A student walked over to a table of African American students throwing cotton onto the table and then hitting one of the students with a belt.

• Another student videoed the incident and shared it with others.

 

How have we responded thus far?

– Immediately following the incident on Wednesday morning, school administrators began an investigation. This investigation was underway for several hours before we became aware that there was video of the incident that was taken by a student in the cafeteria.


o That investigation included reviewing surveillance video, interviewing students, and speaking to the parents of students involved. An investigation of this nature takes days to ensure that the school is thorough in its investigation.

  • On Thursday morning we hosted a campus-wide assembly to pray with our students and to address what took place. We reminded our students that this type of behavior has no place in our school or anywhere else in our society. I reminded students that this behavior is a denial of the fundamental truth that we are all created in the image and likeness of God and that we are all brothers and sisters.
  • By Thursday afternoon the school, in conjunction with diocesan officials, had issued a statement acknowledging the incident, condemning the behavior, and restating who we are as a school and what we believe as a community. The parents of the victim in this incident issued a joint statement with the school.
  • On Thursday evening I met with leaders from our local NAACP to discuss this incident and how the school was handling the situation.
  • On Friday, school officials cooperated with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office as they conducted their own investigation into the incident. It has always been the practice of the school to fully cooperate with law enforcement during any investigation into matters on our campus.
  • Over the weekend we were able to contact Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer from Teamer Strategy Group. Teamer Strategy Group was highly recommended to us and has done work with schools and large corporations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • On Tuesday, we met with our entire faculty to discuss how we continue to respond to this incident and how we continue to support our students through this difficult time. We also discussed ideas of how to make the Vandebilt Catholic community even stronger and what we could do to ensure that something like this never happens again.
  • Since the incident the school has had an increased police presence on our campus to ensure the safety and well-being of students and faculty.

 

What is our plan moving forward?

  • Today, our Equity Committee will meet to discuss next steps in our response.
  • Working in conjunction with our committee and eventually the Teamer Strategy Group, Vandebilt Catholic will create an intentional strategic plan for how we move forward together, as a community.

o Our focus will be on staff training and student support and education.
• Please know that our plan will be grounded in the teachings of the Catholic Church and the mission of Vandebilt Catholic High School.


 

Misconceptions that exist:

  • That the victim of this incident was sent home or that he was the only student sent home. This is wildly inaccurate. Again, the parents of this young man have supported the school’s response to this issue and continue to support Vandebilt Catholic.
  • That the issue is being “swept under the rug.” This is completely false! Disciplinary action has been taken. However, it has never been the practice of Vandebilt Catholic, or any other school, to share with the media or post on social media the disciplinary consequences for any student. I want to remind you that these are minors and it would be against the law for our school to share their information or consequences. You may have noticed that most news stations did not share the video of the incident – this is because all involved are minors. Additionally, you may have noticed in the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Office’s press release that the identity of the student arrested was not released – again because he is a minor.

 

Throughout our time together I have often cautioned you against believing everything you “hear” in the community. As I have stated numerous times, unless you hear it from the school in an official communication such as this one or hear it from me directly you should probably caution against believing or sharing information that you hear or read on social media. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool that allows us to connect with friends and loved ones around the world, but it can also often be a platform for the spreading of misinformation.

 

This is a trying time for all of us. Our community is wounded and it will take some time to heal. As a school community we have committed ourselves to working together to ensure that something like this never happens again. Vandebilt Catholic has a rich history of being a leader in this community. As leaders, we must learn and grow from this situation so that we can respond to the needs of our students and our community. Our eyes, our ears, and our hearts are open. Through the hiring of consultants, development of a strategic plan, and the education of our faculty and students we will be the change we want to see in the world. We ask that you join us as we continue to lift our students, faculty, community, and nation in prayer.


 

God Bless,

Jeremy Gueldner, President
Vandebilt Catholic High School