Venice High School Mother concerned after student sneaks weapon into school, principal responds
VENICE, Fla. - In a statement sent to families and Fox 13, Venice High School confirmed a student managed to bring a weapon to school on Tuesday.
Then on Wednesday, the school announced this was a breach of safety protocols.
What we know:
The principal, Zoltan Kerestely, wrote in the statement that other students told school staff about the weapon, and they acted "quickly."
However, he went on to say a failure to follow established safety protocols resulted in a weapon being brought onto school grounds.
He explained this was unacceptable and should not have happened.
What they're saying:
One mother spoke to FOX 13 anonymously because she was worried about backlash.
She said the Sarasota School District and High School Administrators need to take a hard look at the safety procedures at Venice High School.
"I don't think this is a situation where we get to just go, oops, somebody made a mistake," she said. "This is a situation more so, this is a colossal mess up."
The mother said the school should consider firing the person who allowed a student to sneak a weapon onto campus.
The school confirmed it is taking disciplinary actions against the involved staff.
"I think absolutely, somebody does need to be let go," she said. "I think there needs to be staunch hiring protocols. And I think that they need to start testing the system."
This mother said she kept her daughter home the day after the student was able to sneak a weapon onto school property.
"I'm still 50-50 in sending my daughter back to school and I didn't send her to school today," she said. "We didn't have a clear answer. And so no, she stayed home today until we found out what's going on."
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This happened despite the use of metal detectors on campus.
"Her glasses case will set that metal detector off, and they just wave you on. Music instruments just get waved on. They don't go through the metal detector, they don't get opened," she said. "And so, this has been a cause for concern for us in many ways."
The other side:
The school's principal released a statement to families saying in part:
"When our systems fail, it is our responsibility to pause, take ownership, and implement immediate corrective action. We are actively reviewing and strengthening our procedures, supervision practices, and safety protocols to ensure expectations are clearly defined and consistently followed."
What we don't know:
The statement did not say what type of weapon was brought to the high school.
It's also unclear what disciplinary actions were taken.
Statements:
On Tuesday, families received this message from Venice High School after receiving an automated phone call about the incident.
Good morning, Venice High School families.
This morning, we received a report that a student was in possession of a weapon. Our administration, in close partnership with law enforcement, responded immediately, and the weapon was swiftly removed. At this time, all students and staff are safe, and there is no ongoing threat.
We want to be clear that Sarasota County Schools has a zero-tolerance policy for weapons, and this matter is being addressed in accordance with district policy and law enforcement procedures.
We are thankful to the students who came forward and reported the concern, allowing our team to act quickly. Their willingness to "see something, say something" plays an important role in keeping our school community safe.
Please be assured that the situation has been addressed, all is well, and our campus is safe.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Families received this letter on Wednesday, the day after the weapon was brought to school.
Dear VHS Families and Staff,
I am writing to directly address a serious safety incident that occurred on our campus yesterday. A failure to follow established safety protocols resulted in a weapon being brought onto school grounds. This should not have happened and is unacceptable.
Following a thorough investigation, it was determined that there was a breach in protocol by members of our school support team. I want to be clear that this breach has been fully corrected, and all appropriate disciplinary actions are being taken. In addition, the student involved was arrested, and the matter is now being handled by law enforcement. The safety of our staff and students is our top priority everyday. When our systems fail, it is our responsibility to pause, take ownership, and implement immediate corrective action. We are actively reviewing and strengthening our procedures, supervision practices, and safety protocols to ensure expectations are clearly defined and consistently followed.
As part of these corrective actions, the district security advisors have been on campus and will be conducting mandatory safety training for our entire staff. This training will reinforce proper protocols, clarify expectations, and ensure accountability at every level.
I also want to recognize the students who reported concerns and the staff members who responded promptly and professionally once the issue was identified. Their actions were appropriate, responsible, and critical to maintaining campus safety.
Moving forward, we will continue to communicate openly, reinforce our expectations, and work in partnership with families to keep our campus safe. We encourage families to continue having conversations with students about reporting concerns, speaking up, and making responsible choices. Safety is strongest when we work together.
Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your continued support of our school. We are committed to learning from this moment, strengthening our systems, and ensuring the safety of our students and staff every day.
Sincerely,
Zoltan Kerestely
The Source: Information in this story comes from statements from Venice High School and from interviews done by FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky.