vision2020
Re: Moscow suicide
Bill;
School district personnel had their hands full yesterday dealing with
yet another terrible tragedy. Students had to be counseled, parents talked
with, situations coordinated, all within a short period of time. The track
team, of which the boy was a member, was out of town at a meet.
Arraignments had to be made for the buses to be met and the team told.
(about 10:30 pm last night). I cannot speak for other public entities, but
we were too busy to issue "press releases". Besides, as you would know
better than I, a press release after 3pm would never make the evening paper
anyway.
I can certainly understand the need to know, but sometimes there are
more important things on peoples minds.
John
John and Laurie Danahy
jdanahy@turbonet.com
-----Original Message-----
From: bill london <bill_london@hotmail.com>
To: vision2020@moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com>
Cc: dpettit@lmtribune.com <dpettit@lmtribune.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 9:28 AM
Subject: Moscow suicide
>Did you hear the rumors floating around Moscow last night (Tuesday
>night) about the suicide of a Moscow High student? John Cronin noted
>earlier on this list that he heard that same rumor. I did as well.
>
>So, to verify, last night I called the city editor of the Lewiston
>Morning Tribune (Diane Pettit). Yes, she had also heard the rumors,
>but was not able to verify this because (as I understand it) nobody in
>the Latah County Sheriff's Office or Moscow City Police or Moscow
>School District was willing to talk about this on the record. She
>assumed that someone would issue a press release today. So, nothing
>about the suicide (if there was one) appeared in the Tribune today.
>
>I don't think that is good enough. I think the public has a right to
>know this information and that it is the responsibility of the
>police/school to pass that info on as quickly as possible.
>
>The public needs to know if it is true or not. In this era of copycat
>suicides/violence by students, it is important for teachers/parents to
> know as soon as possible if there was a suicide.
>
>The rumors were flying, and the media was ready to print the truth. I
>think the local authorities need to make that truth available to the
>media as soon as they know it. Yes, and if that means establishing a
>meaningful communication system for contacts after 5pm, then let's get
>it together.
>BL
>
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