Fear in high school
Sunday's editorial.
A teenager charged with serious crimes didn't belong at High Point Central High School, but he was sent there about two weeks ago before complaints led to his abrupt removal.
The troubling case of Varren Daveldre Anderson, 16, of Buckleigh Lane in High Point appears to be unusual -- but it's hard to know for sure because of privacy laws that restrict what schools can say about students.
Court documents state that Anderson was arrested Nov. 1 and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary in connection with two crimes committed in October. In each instance, two teenagers abducted a victim at gunpoint and made him drive to an ATM and withdraw money. In one incident, the assailants entered an apartment occupied by a married couple and forced the husband to go with them. In both cases, the victims were released unharmed.
Bank photographs helped police identify Anderson, who was arrested, confessed and named his partner, a 15-year-old High Point boy, according to court papers. Police discovered the weapon was a BB gun -- less lethal but perhaps no less terrifying.
The legal status of the second suspect, who turned 16 on Dec. 1 but was a juvenile when the crimes were committed, is not a public record.
District Court Judge Pete Hunter set Anderson's bond at $10,000 on Dec. 13 and put him under the supervision of the Pre-Trial Services office in High Point until his trial, which has not been scheduled yet. The judge ordered Anderson to report in person to that office once a week, observe a 7 p.m. curfew and attend school every day unless he had a medical excuse. Anderson's family posted bond.
Hunter did not say which school Anderson should attend, and the school system was not obligated to accept him.
John Morris, chief student services officer for Guilford County Schools, declined to speak specifically about Anderson. In cases like this generally, he said, "school" can be interpreted to include GED studies at GTCC, online courses, an alternative program provided by a faith-based organization, or private school. The decision could depend on whether the student's alleged crimes "fit the profile of someone who might be dangerous at school."
Administrators assigned Anderson to Guilford County Schools' SCALE program in Greensboro, which serves students who need an alternative setting for disciplinary reasons, usually for a maximum of 45 days.
After about 10 weeks at SCALE, Anderson was reassigned to High Point Central, where he previously had attended. His presence immediately created concerns that reached top school administrators, District Attorney Doug Henderson and Board of Education member Garth Hebert, who represents High Point. Anderson was removed within a few days.
The school system declined to disclose why Anderson was sent to Central, why he was removed or where he is now. Again not speaking about Anderson, Morris explained: "If a student's presence at a school is extremely disruptive for whatever reason ... you cannot have him in the school."
That's a sensible standard. Given the charges pending against Anderson, school leaders should have anticipated an angry, fearful reaction at Central. School safety concerns must be taken seriously, and staff, students and parents shouldn't have to worry about dangerous individuals on campus.
But Morris said school officials themselves sometimes aren't informed about criminal charges pending against students, and they can be prevented from knowing when the alleged offenders are younger than 16.
Anderson's defense lawyer, John Bryson, said his client hasn't been convicted of crimes and should be allowed to attend school. "Would you rather have him out on the street?"
Henderson, the district attorney, looked into Anderson's file in response to public inquiries. He declined to comment about the case but agreed that students in those circumstances need to be in school.
"The place to get that structure is SCALE, not with the general student population," he said, adding, "there's a need for something probably a step up from SCALE," where closer supervision can be provided.
The schools currently don't have that option, Morris said, but Marianne Woody, an officer with Pre-Trial Services, said a new program offered through the Greensboro nonprofit agency One Step Further offers GED classes and other education for individuals waiting for trial.
In Anderson's case, Judge Hunter should not simply have ordered Anderson to attend school and then left it to the school system to deal with him. Instead, the judge should have committed Anderson to an appropriate alternative program. Hunter did not return a call for comment.
Once Anderson was in their care, however, school administrators never should have sent him to a regular school. Any of the available alternatives would have been better.
Young criminal suspects have a right to their day in court but not to attend a regular high school.