There’s a big concern in the town of Stoneham, Massachusetts, this week: school safety. It all stems from a startling situation at an elementary school there. Parents are demanding changes from some town leaders.
Concerned parents met at an elementary school in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Thursday night after police caught an armed man who was previously registered as a sex offender on school grounds.
Parents say they weren’t notified about the incident until days after when their superintendent sent out an email.
James McCarty was caught with two knives while walking the grounds of the South School in Stoneham, according to police. When asked what he was doing, he allegedly responded "you'll find out."
Investigators believe McCarty was experiencing a mental health crisis. He never made contact with any kids, but parents say they wish they'd been notified sooner about what happened.
Stoneham Police Chief James O'Connor and Superintendent David Ljungberg apologized to parents. Many thanked the chief for the quick police response, but were still angry about how the school administration did not notify parents until five days after the incident.
"There is absolutely no doubt that you should have been notified Thursday of what happened," O'Connor said. "This failure will not happen again."
"I am sorry. I apologize for not having handled the situation differently," added Ljungberg.
Parents voiced their concerns at a school committee meeting.
"Mr. Ljungberg, I have absolutely zero faith in your ability to be the superintendent," Stoneham resident Andrew Dawson said. "I think it's fair to say he wasn't there to teach the kids reading, writing and arithmetic. He was an armed pedophile there trying to get entrance into the school."
"I really think you should resign, or go your separate ways, because this isn't working," the mother of a student said.
NBC10 Boston asked Ljungberg about parents calling for his resignation.
"I don't have a comment on that at this time," said Ljungberg. "I am processing all of the comments and will need some time to meet with my committee and we will need to de-brief all of the comments that we've heard tonight."
“Next time just send us an email right away," one parent, who asked that her identity be concealed, said earlier Thursday.
See the emails sent to parents below.
She told NBC10 Boston that an email should've been sent out on March 21 when the school’s principal reported seeing someone acting erratic and sitting on the school’s field. Shortly after he called 911, police say they found McCarty walking around school grounds outside the building. McCarty attempted to run away but police were able to arrest him and believe he was experiencing a mental health crisis. They found two knives on the 31-year-old - a folded style knife and a hunting knife.
McCarty was once registered as a level one sex offender for dissemination of child pornography after a conviction in 2013. He is no longer required to register. He was also being investigated by the FBI Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force.
According to court documents obtained by NBC10 Boston, he’s facing a number of charges including carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds and disorderly conduct.
But the superintendent for the school district didn’t notify parents until an email days later.
School officials are expected to discuss parents' frustrations with the communication at Thursday's meeting.
Emails sent to parents
The following email was sent to parents on March 26:
Dear Parents and Caregivers:
The district would like to share the following information about an incident that occurred at South Elementary School last Thursday.
On March 21, an adult who was experiencing a mental health crisis entered wandered onto school property but did not come into contact with any students.
Per our protocols the Stoneham Police Department was contacted immediately. Officers arrived within minutes. The individual fled, and police took them into custody without incident shortly thereafter.
Stoneham Police have connected this person with the appropriate services.
We understand that this information may be alarming and may cause feelings of stress for students and families. I would like to assure our community that the safety of our students is our top priority. This incident was handled in a safe and professional manner by school staff and the Stoneham Police Department.
I would also like to thank the Stoneham Police Department for their timely response and assistance during this incident.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
David Ljungberg, Superintendent
Stoneham Public Schools
A followup was sent a day later:
Dear Stoneham Public Schools Community,
I wish to provide an update on the situation that we announced yesterday in which a man trespassed onto school grounds.
First, I wish to apologize that this incident was not communicated to the community sooner. We have discussed this matter internally and with our partners in the Stoneham Police Department. We acknowledge that situations like this, while delicate and involving mental health, nonetheless must be communicated in a timely manner to our community.
Second, I want to reiterate that the established policies and procedures of the Stoneham Public Schools were followed in this matter. The safety and security of our school community is of the utmost importance. At no time was any member of our community in danger. In following our school safety procedures, the administrator immediately notified the police department, which responded quickly and ultimately took the individual into custody.
Moving forward, it is our sincere pledge that our families, faculty, staff and students will receive more timely updates as is your expectation.
Thank you for your patience and understanding and for your continued support of the Stoneham Public Schools Community.
Sincerely,
Dave Ljungberg, M.Ed. Superintendent
Stoneham Public Schools
