Student’s suspension for threat was converted to transfer

A 14-year-old boy who allegedly threatened to kill his teacher was allowed to stay in the school system because he had not committed any violent acts, school officials say.

Jacob D. Carr was suspended from Ferris High School in January after he threatened to burn down a teacher’s home in an e-mail note he sent Dec. 23, according to school district officials. The teacher opened the note in January. Carr was transferred to Shadle Park High School after his long-term suspension was converted to a transfer.

“Had there been (violent acts), then this placement would not have been done,” said Emmett Arndt, district director of high schools. “Each student case is considered on an individual basis.”

The district tries to keep students in school but will not do so if it endangers students or teachers, Arndt said.

Though district officials would not discuss the specifics of Carr’s case, they did address general policy questions involved in the situation. According to the Student Rights and Responsibilities policy 3200 with Spokane Public Schools, a student can apply for re-admission after a long-term suspension or expulsion. The application includes reasons the student wants to return, plus new evidence such as a risk assessment or counseling and treatment that supports the student’s request. A statement from the parent is also included.

Typically in a long-term suspension transfer, the receiving school’s principal, vice principals and counselors know details of the student’s actions.

Re-admission after an incident with a firearm can only be done with the approval of the district superintendent.

Police said Carr was found Thursday near the South Hill school with a loaded .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun and was allegedly intending to shoot his former Ferris teacher, Michelle Klein-Coles.

Carr told investigators that he decided to shoot her and kill himself after she appeared on the KZZU, 92.9-FM morning radio program. According to court documents, Carr’s father told him that Klein-Coles appeared on the KZZU radio show that was talking about the recent Minnesota school shootings and that Klein-Coles talked about the threats made to her by a student.

KZZU, which is part of the KXLY Broadcast group, said it would not release audio copies or transcripts of that broadcast. Station general manager Chris Garras said the program would not even be released to the KXLY news operations.

Klein-Coles declined requests for an interview.

Spokane Public Schools officials were still trying to pull together exact figures of how many students since the fall have received the suspension-transfer option that put Carr into Shadle Park High School. The Spokesman-Review requested that information Friday.

The first step in determining whether a student will be relocated, rather then serving out a suspension, involves evaluating a student’s entire record and actions, Arndt said. Then district officials ask a specific high school if the administrative team would take the student. Sometimes there are factors at a school that make that a bad decision, Arndt said.

Generally speaking, “If they believe that he’s so disruptive and a threat to students, staff or the learning environment, or both, then there aren’t any phone calls. There is no consideration,” Arndt said.

Arndt added that, “You just know” when a student will be disruptive.

“For example, if there is violence, if there’s assaultive behavior, if there’s continued intimidation and so forth, that would generally lead one to say there’s no reason to consider placement of the student,” Arndt said.

Carr is eventually looking at very serious discipline from Shadle Park for his actions, Arndt said. The discipline procedure has begun, but Ardnt said he could not give details due to federal privacy laws. He added that expulsion is not a guaranteed outcome. The student has the option of appealing any decision.

“This is a terribly serious violation of our policy,” Arndt said.