To The Editor:

I would like to express my concern regarding the Board of Education’s vote on the weapon detection system. As a senior at Newtown High School and a co-chair of Junior Newtown Action Alliance, I care deeply about my community. I attended the board meeting this past Tuesday along with twelve other club members, five of whom spoke, including myself. We poured our hearts out to the board, explaining the repercussions this system would have on our daily school routine. Despite the generosity and consideration of the Sandy Hook Foundation, we strongly urged the board to reject the donation on behalf of the high school community.

As an active member of the community who will soon be of voting age, I am deeply disappointed by the board’s actions. Their purpose is to represent the members of the community, and I felt as if the vote was not remotely representative of the public’s opinion, especially that of the students most affected. The public participation at the meeting was overwhelmingly in support of rejecting the donation, which appeared to go completely unnoticed. While I understand the board’s intention to prioritize safety, their definition of the term “safety” was only considered on a very surface level.

The board claimed to care about the mental health of the students, yet their decision was not reflective of this. It was also deeply ironic that a board made up of adults from a generation that did not grow up with the threat of gun violence, would claim to know what is best for us. Given that reality, the voices of us students should have been prioritized.

If anything, the adoption of the weapon detection system would lead to a more hostile learning environment, one in which students would be unable to focus.

Every time I walk through those doors, I will be reminded of the threat that gun violence poses to our society. More than anything, this system sends the message to students that this is no longer a place of safety. Even if the detectors were triggered by harmless items like a water bottle or Chromebook, the disruption would leave me distracted and distraught. For me, this would turn school into a place of anxiety and fear. Forget the academic pressure that students undergo; imagine the constant threat that will loom over us.

This can only be described as what feels like a form of psychological torture. I deserve to get an education free from fear and distraction. There is a time and place for such a safety method, and let me just say, school is not one of them.

I refuse to allow these systems to be added to my high school on a daily basis. I would be open to their implementation after school hours for the purpose of school-related events; however, they do not belong as a part of my everyday routine. I urge community members to speak out on behalf of the students. I demand action be taken.

Cali Taylor

Newtown