Oct 18th, 2019
Dear Brewster Community,
Last night around 9 pm, Brewster Schools received numerous notifications from the Anonymous Alerts system about a Snapchat video that depicted an alleged crime that took place off of school grounds within the Brewster Community. Local police and school administration responded immediately. State Police are actively investigating.
We would like to thank the parents and students who reached out immediately to alert us and to allow police to do their job. It’s a testament to the strength of our community and the fact that Brewster families take care of one another. That said, please try to avoid speculation on social media. There are many rumors that are being spread that are simply untrue and the proliferation of this information helps no one.
We understand that many of our students and staff saw or heard about this disturbing video. As a result, our District-Wide and Building-level Crisis Teams met today to put developmentally-appropriate plans in place to support our students. Counselors will be readily available for students district-wide who need to talk. We understand that this support will need to extend beyond today, and we are making plans for such support. The health and safety of our students is always our top priority.
Please also know that this message went out to BHS students via email this morning.
- Please tell your student not to view the video
- If a student is in possession of the video or images of the video, they must delete it immediately. It is a crime to possess or distribute it
- Monitor and limit cell phone use
- Encourage your children to talk to you or a trusted adult in school about this incident
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Best Regards,
Laurie Bandlow, Ed.D.