Posted on 09/13/2005 12:23:41 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
A Madison (WI) East High School student charged with three counts of first-degree attempted intentional homicide is back attending classes at the school now that his family has posted bail.
Andrew Pirsch, 16, is one of 12 people charged in an Aug. 9 drive-by shooting that wounded three men in the village of Oregon. He also faces three counts of endangering safety by reckless use of a weapon.
His family posted a $25,000 cash bail Aug. 29.
School district spokesman Ken Syke, citing student privacy laws, said he could not confirm whether Pirsch is a student at East High.
However, several staff members, parents and Madison police officials said Pirsch returned to the school shortly after the school year began.
"I'm just appalled that he's back in the same building," said officer Lorie Graham, who is assigned to East High as the school's educational resource officer. "Here's a charged felon walking around the school with 1,800 other students."
Graham stressed that she in no way seeks to impede Pirsch's legal right to an education. "I thought he'd get schooling at some other more secure, not-so-public forum," she said.
Lt. Melissa Schiferl, Graham's immediate supervisor, said Pirsch's presence at the school is a concern not only because of the seriousness of his alleged crimes but also because he could come into contact with gang members. Some defendants in the case told police they were members of the Crips street gang. The victims allegedly were members of the Bloods.
"There are all sorts of implications that could come up," Schiferl said. "Clearly it's not the best situation."
Schiferl said she realizes that police have no formal role in school policy and that the School District may be restricted in how it handles such situations.
Clarence Sherrod, lead attorney for the School District, said the district has no grounds to prevent students from attending school if the crimes for which they've been charged are not connected to the school. This is a state law, not a policy specific to Madison, he said.
The district cannot place these students in non- traditional educational settings without the approval of the students' families, Sherrod said.
"In general, (the violation) has to be related to the school district for a student to face a school consequence," he said. "We have no authority to do anything to anybody unless it's in our jurisdiction."
Sherrod said there are several measures a district can take to ensure the safety of all students when a student charged with a serious crime is attending classes. He declined to offer specifics.
Lucy Mathiak, a leader of East High United, the school's parent group, said she had not heard about Pirsch returning to school until told by a reporter Monday. She called it "a really odd situation" for a school to find itself in, then said, "I think, frankly, you're innocent until proven guilty. You can't just kick people out because they've been accused of something."
Mathiak said she has no reason to feel her child is unsafe at East.
"It's a new day over there," she said, mentioning the school's new principal, Alan Harris, and the staff's hard work on improving the school's climate. "There's too much positive happening. This is such a tiny, tiny sliver of the school."
Police say Pirsch is one of at least six who fired guns into a group of people outside a home in Oregon on Aug. 9. The incident reportedly revolved around accusations of missing money and fears of retaliation.
James Connors, Pirsch's attorney and spokesman for the family, could not be reached Monday for comment.
East science teacher Fred Rosevear, treasurer of the board of directors for Madison Teachers Inc., the district's teachers union, said Pirsch's return to school hasn't been an issue among staff members. Pirsch is in his chemistry class.
"I don't have any particular problems with it," Rosevear said. "God only knows what a kid may or may not do outside of class. But in chemistry class, he's just a kid."
To say we're all furious about this would be an understatement. Our local radio Conserva-Babe is on the case this afternoon.
"God only knows what a kid may or may not do outside of class. But in chemistry class, he's just a kid."
I can't take it anymore.
But had he brought a Bible to school...
When people take 'leave of their senses," they spout nonsense like:
"In general, (the violation) has to be related to the school district for a student to face a school consequence," he said. "We have no authority to do anything to anybody unless it's in our jurisdiction."
America: sliding into silliness and outright imbecility
We have a local radio Conserva-Babe?
why are not ALL the citizens out over there with a full protest until they jail the punk or expell it!
Put it all on the shoulders of ONE radio jock? That is the nanny/mammy mentality at work. It spreads very quickly since it's so much easier to let someone else do all the work at NO RISK to yourselves.
I suppose the other 1800 kids can hang out in the homosexual safe zones and everything will be OK.
/sarcasm
I love it. Public School bump.
This kid could make Columbine look like a picnic.
Somebody is out of their frickin mind.
I hope they give the teachers flak vests. I sure wouldnt work without one.
Did you miss a few vocabulary classes?
I have a relative (by marriage) who lives in Oregon, WI, who's just a l-i-t-t-l-e bit nuts. I'd like to see this kid and his friends try to start something at his place.
My money would definitely be on the former.
Yep. Vicki McKenna, 2-6pm on WIBA AM1310. She rocks!
"I have a relative (by marriage) who lives in Oregon, WI, who's just a l-i-t-t-l-e bit nuts."
Hi, Cousin! *Waves Madly* LOL! :)
ROTFL
Not you! You're normal!! (Aren't you?? LOL)
Yeah. Pretty boring, actually. ;)
I'll have to tune in on my way home from work. When my kids were little, I worked as a temp, and one of my assignments was two weeks as the receptionist at WIBA when they were on South Fish Hatchery. Sly was still there, and "JM in the AM". It was a fun coupla weeks.
They're still in that same building. Sly works for WTDY, though. And guess what? My socialist BIL's girlfriend was the morning DJ with Sly...up until a few weeks ago. She was fired for calling for the President's execution when the flap with Robertson was going on and he called for Chavez to be "taken out." The CIA investigated her, too. Tee-Hee!
There is a God. ;) I dread seeing that cornflake again. Hopefully I have a reprive from her until the family Christmas gathering. *Rolleyes*
So...do you think it would have been different if Milt McPike was still principal at East?
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