Jamie Wheeler-Roberts ‘13
Opinions Editor 

The school’s decision to not alert students about a fugitive wanted for murder last week is being questioned by some members of the Staples community.

Thomas W. Gardner, 35, was arrested Wednesday Nov. 9 after leading police on a chase with speeds of up to 100mph through neighboring towns ending up in downtown Westport. Though the chase occurred before noon, Westport Now first reported on the missing fugitive at 1:09 p.m. Gardner was apprehended four hours later outside a store in Playhouse Square. Staples students were not given any information about the fugitive on the loose, nor were teachers in the high school.

Marc Himmel, a senior at Staples and employee at “TopThis,” a frozen yogurt store near Playhouse Square, felt that the school system had no legal obligation to inform students. But, he believed, “if they have information that could potentially help a student avoid a dangerous situation, they should by all means share it.”

A number of parents expressed similar concerns.

Barbie Heit is the mother of two Staples seniors who, she siad, have been driving for only a few months. “I knew that Gardner was driving at very high speeds and, apparently, would stop at nothing to avoid the police.”

“In the future,” Staples mom Lisa Goto said, “everyone should be informed.”

School officials stood by their decision to not inform students, although they said  the recent event has sparked the development of a new plan that will outline what would take place if an emergency such as the one from last Wednesday occurred after hours when the administration was not present in the building and afterschool activities were taking place.

“Had the Westport Police Department had any reason to have concern for the students in our schools or for those participating in after school programs, they would have consulted with me and given me advice as to how to proceed,” school superintendent Elliot Landon said in a written statement. “Throughout this ordeal, there was never any reason to believe that any of our students or staff were in jeopardy.”

Staples administrators said they were not told of the incident until the end of the school day. “It didn’t raise a crisis for the high school,” said Staples principal John Dodig.

Students had mixed reactions to the school’s decision, which meant that many headed to the downtown area and as a result continued with daily routines that could have put them into harm’s way without their knowledge.

“Students at the high school are old enough to understand what was going on,” said Westport parent and cross country mom Yvonne O’Kane, arguing that students should have been informed. “What if one of them encountered him? How would they handle that?” She continued that the cross country team should not really have even left school to run, “especially since [Gardner’s] whereabouts were unknown.”

Although some said they were upset with the school’s decision to not inform students, some understand it and defend the school’s choice to not inform the students.

“The school wouldn’t have let us go out if we were in danger,” said cross country runner Henry Wynne ’13.” Fellow junior August Laska, an actor who was at Players rehearsal last Wednesday, agreed with Wynne. “I think the school handled it fine.”

Had the situation taken a serious turn, putting Staples students in jeopardy,  Principal Dodig emphasized that there is a plan in the crisis manual for events such as last Wednesday’s that would ensure the safety of all Staples students and staff.