Lindenhurst school board faces backlash from parents after student stabbing

LINDENHURST - The Lindenhurst school board has said they are ramping up security after a stabbing on Monday, but parents are arguing that it's too little, too late.

A letter from the Lindenhurst School Board was posted on Thursday insisting its eight members are committed to maintaining a safe and positive learning environment for all students, but parents are firing back.

"The letter is reactive," said parent Jeannie Sailer. "I was looking for proactive. Most of our board members are out of touch with what’s going on in our schools. We need more parents here who have children on the board."

In the letter, the board says they’ve increased the number of security guards on campus, and they’re exploring a partnership with a security firm and reviewing the possibility of hiring a retired law enforcement officer to serve as security director.

But parents say the school board isn't listening to them, and that emails, calls, and attempts from parents to speak at board meetings have fallen on deaf ears.

FOX 5 NY also reached out several times to speak to the superintendent and board members. All requests were denied.

On the same day as the Lindenhurst stabbing, two other students were allegedly slashed in Uniondale High School. The next day, a group of students allegedly threatened a teen with a knife in Riverhead. On Wednesday, the father of a Central Islip senior filed a claim against the district saying his daughter was assaulted and on Thursday, an illegal knife was found in a student’s car in the Longwood District.

A board meeting is scheduled for 8 o’clock on April 12 in Lindenhurst and plenty of parents plan to show up, some say it should’ve been held sooner.