What to Know
- Parents want to know why a security guard let a man into an Eastchester school without identification
- The superintendent said the intruder claimed to be meeting someone from maintenance
- Police were reportedly not called until an hour after the situation on Friday
Parents in Eastchester crowded an auditorium Sunday night looking for answers after a burglar walked through an elementary school on Friday, calling into question the school's security measures and safety protocols.
The parents claim a security guard, on her second day, let the man roam the halls of the school for seven minutes without asking for identification.
Eastchester School District Superintendent Rob Glass said the intruder who entered the school claimed to be in the building to meet someone from maintenance. He said the man asked to use the bathroom and instead rifled through a teaching assistant's purse. The suspect also passed through hallways while kindergarteners and 1st graders were in class.
A hall monitor caught the intruder, who said he was lost looking for a bathroom. The monitor ran to get security, leaving the man alone steps away from classrooms until he was eventually escorted out of the building.
Police were reportedly not called until an hour after the incident and parents were notified Sunday, two days after the event.
"To hear that the man was walking throughout the building with a duffle bag is pretty concerning and then the protocol was to contact the cops an hour later? That's not a good thing," one parent said.
News
As parents sought answers at a community meeting Sunday night, the superintendent grew frustrated.
"Right now you want answers to information, that's what you told me and that's what I'm going to provide for you if you give me a chance," said Superintendent Glass.
Schools in the district will start two hours late on Monday as officials review safety parameters with staff.
