'It's just unbelievable': Families express concerns over safety issues at KCK's Wyandotte High School
KMBC 9 Investigates has reported about guns, drugs, and fights on school property.
KMBC 9 Investigates has reported about guns, drugs, and fights on school property.
KMBC 9 Investigates has reported about guns, drugs, and fights on school property.
Families are speaking out about what they believe are unsafe conditions at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan.
KMBC 9 Investigates has reported about guns, drugs, and fights on school property.
Former Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools police officer Marialexa Sanoja in her resignation letter in December claims there were roughly 140 incidents with a police report in less than the first four months of this school year at Wyandotte High.
Last August, a gun was found inside the school right after Evelian Cornish’s son started classes there as a freshman.
"When I first got that call, I realized I was going to have trouble at this school,” she said.
Within weeks, Evelian’s son had been in four fights and was under constant threat.
Faced with that stress, her son acted out and broke a school window.
Distressed, Evelian spoke to a Wyandotte High assistant principal about her son’s tormentors.
"He said there's too many kids, we can't protect your son. He said do you know what you're dealing with? These kids, they're in a gang," she said.
"We're in an urban district, gangs are typically in the urban core. I'm sure there are students who are members of gangs in our schools," said Dr. Anna Stubblefield KCKPS Superintendent.
In response to KMBC 9 Investigates' Monday story Tuesday afternoon, Wyandotte High School principal Mary Stewart sent an email “To all Wyandotte School Families”.
Stewart claims “some of the information shared was not factual”.
The email doesn’t specify what information is inaccurate.
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She also references a video Dr. Stubblefield posted Tuesday in response to KMBC 9 Investigates.
In October, Teaira Chaney’s son was eating lunch in the Wyandotte High cafeteria.
She said two other students shoved a phone in his face showing live video of a young man at a different location threatening him with a gun.
"They basically said well we have no proof, so there's nothing we can do,” Teaira said.
Students, parents, and administrators all say fights are routine at Wyandotte High.
Dozens of them have been posted on social media.
Leslie Hernandez made it all the way to her senior year without getting in one.
Then in October, she said she was attacked by another girl.
She shared video of that incident with KMBC 9 Investigates.
Even though it’s school policy to inform parents about these incidents, months later, Leslie’s mother has never been called.
And just recently, because of that fight, Leslie had surgery on her right pinky.
There are now pins in it and she wears a cast.
"You have to watch your back a lot, you really do. It's pretty common, there can be like four fights a day, five," Leslie said.
"Unfortunately, in the urban core you may see more fights, unfortunately," Dr. Stubblefield said.
"It's just unbelievable. If you're not asking your kid what's going on in school, you better ask them if they're going to Wyandotte,” Evelian Cornish said.
Her son is no longer a student at Wyandotte High School.
Teaira Chaney also pulled her son out of the school because she doesn’t believe it’s safe.
Despite her incident, Leslie Hernandez plans to finish her senior year at Wyandotte High.