Dear Parents & Families,

Last night at our Homecoming Dance, three separate incidents of unacceptable student behavior occurred. Within
hours, we also learned that a racist (and anonymous) threat was texted to a student that indicated violence would
take place at school on Monday, September 26.

This letter is intended to communicate the District’s response to these inappropriate behaviors and serious threat,
and alert you to schedule changes at the high school for tomorrow.

Our preliminary investigation, along with that of Manlius Police, has determined that the three incidents of
inappropriate behavior by several students at the Homecoming Dance were unrelated to one another. Further,
there were not any weapons present; no influence or presence of outside agitators; nor any pre-planning of
confrontation or violence against any specific individuals or groups.

Staff members, local police officers, and security guards were assigned to the dance to ensure that our safety
promises were met. All students bags were secured in a separate area prior to being allowed access to the dance
area. Additional police were called to the scene as the incidents unfolded.

Each of the three incidents focused on student behaviors and/or reactions that are inappropriate and violate our
Code of Conduct. In one of the cases, female students argued about texting one another, which ultimately led to
a fight. In the second, a boy allegedly shared inappropriate photos of himself with a girl or girls, who confronted
him, and this also became physical. In the third incident, words were exchanged between female students, which
resulted in a fight. All of these are still under investigation.

In the wake of these incidents, we were also made aware of a related anonymous threat of violence at school
tomorrow. The threat, which included racist sentiments, was texted to a student, who posted it on social media.
The district is fully investigating all of these actions, as are members of law enforcement. While we are prevented
by law from commenting on individual student discipline, please know that the district will certainly exercise its
significant disciplinary responsibilities and options in response to these incidents.

Based upon the threat of violence that was made last night, we have decided to conduct remote instruction at
the high school tomorrow, September 26. All afterschool and athletic events at the HS will be cancelled or
relocated. All other schools will function as normal for Monday, September 26.

This was our first Homecoming Dance without health protocols since 2019. Many were excited to finally
participate in a student event in an unencumbered manner. It is so deeply distressing that a small handful of
students would exercise such poor judgment and negatively impact the experiences of so many others, and our
high school leaders will have a great deal to say about this issue to students in the coming days and weeks. We
expect nothing less than the highest degree of personal responsibility and respect for one another in our schools.

The District continues to work closely with law enforcement on this matter and you can expect additional updates
from me as more is learned or as developments necessitate. We appreciate the information that has been shared
with the Town of Manlius Police Department tip line and we value the community’s ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Donna DeSiato

Superintendent of Schools