A Florida public school district apologized Monday after newly installed metal detectors caused students to wait in lines for up to an hour at some of the district’s high schools, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a gunman committed a mass murder in 2018.
Teenagers gathering for their first day of class at Broward County Public Schools were met with long lines that stretched onto nearby sidewalks, as staff struggled to move kids through security checkpoints, video showed. I got it at a local dealer.
Lucas Paez, a 17-year-old high school senior, waited in line for 45 minutes at Western High School before hearing that belt buckles, metal rings and even spiral notebooks had set off detectors. According to the Miami Herald.
After lengthy delays, officials allowed students into the building without passing through metal detectors.
“I have one. [metal detector] “It’s ridiculous to have to test every entrance,” mother Madeline Reyes told the paper. “They have to be in school by 6 or 6:30 in the morning to get through all the procedures.”
Another parent outside Flanagan High School understood the safety aspects but condemned the experience.
“It’s actually terrible because we don’t know how long she’ll be out in the sun. There are so many children outside,” her mother, Leticia Abaladejo, said. He told Local 10.
Parents whose children attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School posted on social media that their children arrived at the school at 7 a.m. and were still waiting in line at 7:55 a.m. Parkland Talk reports.
In 2018, a mass shooting occurred inside a building on the high school campus, and the gunman shot and killed 17 people before being taken into custody and is currently serving a life sentence.
The building where the shooting happened It was demolished during the summer.
Broward County is the sixth largest school district in the nation, with over 30 high schools. Metal detectors were installed in each of the high schools.
The principal quickly apologized for the long lines and wait times and thanked students for their patience.
“To help speed up screening, we ask that you either do not bring any metal objects with you or remove them from your bag before approaching the detectors,” Howard Hepburn said in a statement.
“We are committed to improving this experience and will make any necessary adjustments.”
