'Unconscionable': Harper Woods parents livid after student caught with gun, saying they weren't told

HARPER WOODS, Mich. (FOX 2) - After a student brought a gun to Harper Woods High School last week, parents had their say at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

Many of them let parents know how frustrated they are with how it was handled by school leadership. Some blame a lack of communication - others say it was a cover-up.

Some parents have said the administration was slow to communicate what happened. Police reported it Monday but that was five days after a school staffer discovered a handgun in a student's bookbag. The police report says the staffer also found pot in the backpack after the teen and a few other boys were observed with a vape pen in a bathroom.

Police say when the staffer tried to escort the teen to the principal's office, he ran off. He was later arrested at his house. Parents say more needed to be done - and sooner.

"It is unconscionable that this situation has been fumbled beyond belief," said one mother. "The most disheartening part is this administration’s lack of understanding and follow-through in the best practices of school safety. A vague email 15 hours later by Doctor Wells is unacceptable."

"Quick, accurate, and honest communication is the best practice that ensures our ability to stay safe and to keep our students safe," said another parent. "We are asking this board for a full investigation led by an outside firm to ensure everything has been and will be done in the future, to prevent any risks to our children."

"To all of our disappoint this district didn’t prioritize the lives of students and educators by ensuring all parents students and educators were aware of the situation promptly after it occurred," said a teacher.

Furthermore, the Michigan Caucus of Rank and File Educators told Fox 2 they want to know why the school was never locked down, especially when people did not know where the student was after he ran away.

They also want a probe into reports of what they call broken doors, threats, and other issues they claim are being consistently ignored.

The district says it is committed to communicating information verified by police, and that they will say more updates will come as they get more details from investigators.