Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The father of a student who had a “hit list” two weeks ago provided additional details and clarifications to The New Era last week following the publication of the story.
Because the student was not charged or cited regarding the incident, The New Era is not naming the student or his father.
The student’s father told The New Era that some of the details in the report were wrong.
First, the police did not find a list at his home, he said. Rather, Sweet Home High School Principal Dave Goetz went to the student’s home after learning of the hit list. After asking about the list, the student said he had it in his backpack and gave the list to Goetz. Goetz also took two drawings the student had.
Second, police did not recover weapons from the student’s home, the father said. The police asked him about what weapons he has, and he told them.
“The guns were locked up in my room,” he said. The police did not take them.
The student is going through an expulsion hearing right now, his father said. At a minimum, he will be expelled for the rest of the school year and possibly next year.
The district is providing the student with a tutor, his father said.
This year, his son has had no disciplinary incidents, and he maintains a 3.0 GPA, he said. “My son told me when he came into the high school that other kids have lists.”
He said a staff member told him that there were rumors of other hit lists around the school, and other students have confirmed this.
If that is in fact the case, he said, he wants to know why it has not been addressed.
“Apparently, my son didn’t understand it was such a serious thing,” he said. “My son’s not a violent kid.”
When he first heard about the list, he thought the school had the wrong student, he said. When the list turned up, he was surprised by it.
He thinks the expulsion for the rest of this year is appropriate, he said, but expulsion for the next year is too much.
Based on his son’s past history, “anything beyond this year is overkill,” the father said.
“We think that in light of all the publicity this thing is getting, we’re a little afraid,” he said.
He also said he had his son attend a therapy session Monday following the incident to make sure he wasn’t a threat to anyone or himself.