by Celeste Lee and Dayna Pascual, Clarion Staff Reporters
In Fall 2022, fights and lockdowns at Kennedy High School sparked questions about the security on campus.
On October 13, KCRA Sacramento reported that around the end of 6th period, Kennedy went into lockdown because unidentifiable adults came onto campus to attack two students in two different locations; the B wing and C building. The intruders came in during class and started attacking a student with pepper spray and a taser.
When asked if students feel safe at school, junior Destiny Lee said, ”I don't feel safe because a lot of people are running around and throwing fireworks at school. They’re really immature”
On November 7, via email from principal Reginald Brown, a non-Kennedy student was able to access campus and was let in by a student through a locked gate, to attack another student. After the incident students involved were identified and held accountable for jeopardizing the safety of everyone.
The school is legally responsible for students on campus and are responsible for preventing intruders from coming on campus.
When asked about how students feel about security on campus, Eric Perry, a junior said, “I feel like it's not good enough cause I feel like they (Hall monitors) just joke around a lot.” He was asked what he would change about the security here, to which he responded with, “I would change their behavior…the way that they act because I feel like they wouldn't take it serious”.
Kennedy ASSETs Program Manager Jonathan Jimenez, said, “I can't say we’re the super safest campus. It's very difficult to say that we’ve been able to keep non-students out. I think we’ve witnessed the contrary.”
Pictured above: Jonathan Jimenez, ASSETs Program Manager; the gate leading to V-wing and the student parking lot; the B-wing gate leading to the staff parking lot; Destiny Lee, Kennedy junior.