Joint Statement on School Shooter Hoax
The Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MAAP), Maine Education Association (MEA), and Maine Gun Safety Coalition (MGSC) stand firmly together in our support of Maine school communities.
This past week schools across Maine were closed due to phone and online threats of violence. Our students are still reeling from a world-wide pandemic that impacted in-person learning. Lost days of school affect our children, our families and our school communities. Our children need to be together with peers, and they need to learn. They deserve to feel safe while they are doing so.
“We all have a professional responsibility to create safe schools and communities. As we look ahead, following these hoax shooting reports, we must all work together to achieve that goal while also focusing on the mental health of our students,” said Grace Leavitt, President of the MEA which represents nearly 24,000 educators and pre-service educators statewide.
In addition to disruption to learning, our valued school staff, educators and students experienced a loss of security. “Maine’s children and adolescents are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression, alongside youth across the nation,” says Dr. Laura Blaisdell MD/MPH, President of the MAAP. “Threats to school communities vital to our children’s lives only further stress their well-being and we critically need enhanced resources to provide mental health care that our children require.”
Maine has not yet had a school shooting, but Tuesday’s hoax was a terrible reminder that our children and communities are not immune. We must take steps now to prevent any such tragedy from happening in the future. "We call on our governor and legislators to enact common sense gun safety laws to keep our children safe.” says Cam Shannon, Chair of MGSC.
Resources to support schools, students and parents can be found at:
School Crisis Guide, National Education Association
How to Talk with Kids About Tragedies, American Academy of Pediatrics
School Shooting Resources, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
