Dear Catskill Community,

I wanted to address some inaccurate information reported by Columbia Greene Media on December 14 concerning a fight that took place on December 8 at Catskill High School. No incident took place on December 9. While privacy issues prevent me from providing specifics about the incident, I wanted you to be aware of how our schools respond to physical altercations between students.

Our staff are trained to intervene and separate students if a physical altercation happens, as quickly as possible. In instances that involve violence, we contact law enforcement. If there are potential injuries, the school nurse will provide immediate medical assistance and evaluation. If the situation requires it, the school will call emergency medical services to the school. We contact the parents of all the students involved, and in a timely manner. We have zero tolerance for violence or threats by students or adults. Discipline and other consequences related to an altercation are handled through our District’s code of conduct and are kept confidential, in accordance with educational law regarding student privacy.

I want our school community to know that I am unaware of any incident of violence in our schools where these procedures were not followed.

As always, the safety and well-being of our students is our priority and we take that very seriously. Our schools have resources available to any student who may be experiencing violence, bullying, or social/emotional and mental health issues.

Sincerely,

Dt. Ronel Cook
Superintendent of Schools