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Oxford school officials get sharp criticism for no detailed plans to return to school

Posted at 8:25 AM, Dec 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-16 08:25:20-05

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Tuesday night’s Oxford Community Schools board meeting was the first public meeting since the deadly shooting two weeks ago.

Parents have only heard from school officials in recorded videos and email. They want much more. Several parents said during the meeting they don’t trust officials, they want transparency and more details about a return to school plan.

7 Action News talked with school and legal experts with Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Michael McDaniel is a law professor and former deputy secretary of Homeland Defense.

“It looks like the school administration had a plan in place for immediate responses, but not so much for the days, weeks and months afterward,” McDaniel said.

Another Cooley Law Professor is a former teacher and school administrator. Renelia DuBose told us Oxford administrators and school board members are not acting as leaders.

“Right now is not the time for the school board to be silent and inactive and just hope that a long Christmas break is going to heal this. They are the elected leaders of that district. And they needed to have a statement of how we're going to move forward — timelines, actions, resources necessary, and that's what parents need to hear. That's what students need to hear. And that's what they obviously did not hear the school board meeting,” DuBose said.

Oxford had another school board meeting set for Wednesday night. It has been canceled.