RICHMOND, Va. -- On Wednesday, community members finally got to see the third-party report reviewing Richmond Public Schools' handling of the June 6 graduation day shooting.
It’s a report that wouldn’t have seen the light of day if it wasn’t for a judge ruling in favor of CBS 6 and the Richmond Times Dispatch’s lawsuit against the district, demanding its release.
“You stood up for what is important and this is for the community to be in the know and have transparency remain intact," said Michelle Williams who has family members that attend a Richmond public school.
Williams said she struggles with feeling like the school district was trying to hide the findings of what happened that day. She questions why it took so long, and why it took a judge to decide for the public to be able to find out the truth.
Williams says she is questioning how the school district can regain people's confidence.
“The individuals who oversee need to be held accountable. You put your trust into an organization only for them to mishandle," she said.
Other community members like Charles Willis with the United Communities Against Crime say people have been coming to him saying the report is forcing them to re-live an upsetting day.
"This is like a rehashing of the trauma again. It's extreme sadness," he shared.
Tameeka Jackson-Smith, the mother of Shawn Jackson, the Huguenot graduate who was killed, is reacting to the report.
Jackson-Smith issued the following statement Wednesday:
“My heart is hurting right now because my son's name doesn’t deserve to keep being ripped up like this. He can’t even rest peacefully. He truly worked hard for his diploma and nobody is saying that."
Richmond Public Schools issued a statement when releasing the report.
"The Richmond City School Board and the RPS Administration welcome the release of the Monroe Park shooting report prepared by the Sands Anderson law firm and are grateful for the professionalism and sensitivity with which they conducted their investigation. Transparency is critical for a public entity like RPS and we look forward to sharing the information included in this report," Richmond Public Schools said in a statement that accompanied the report. "The Board initially voted not to release the report because, among other things, a majority believed the report included legal guidance that was exempt from release; wanted to uphold the promise of confidentiality made to RPS employees who participated in the investigation and hoped to avoid taking any action that might jeopardize the ongoing criminal case against the alleged assailant. We respect the Court’s decision and welcome the opportunity to share the report’s findings. We also acknowledge and respect the minority of the Board that advocated for the release of the report earlier."
As a result of this report being released, Richmond’s trauma healing response network has been activated to help those struggling with any emotions surrounding the situation.
You can get connected to resources by emailing traumahealingresponsenetwork@gmail.com
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