Providence Public Schools Refuse to Answer Questions About Mt. Pleasant Violence

Providence Public Schools Refuse to Answer Questions About Mt. Pleasant Violence

On Wednesday, faculty and a Providence Police officer were injured in an incident with a student just before noon at Mount Pleasant High School.

GoLocal was first to report the incident on Wednesday. 

The student was arrested by Providence Police.

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The Providence Public School Department is refusing to answer questions about the incident. The spokesperson for the Department did not respond to questions.

GoLocal has learned that the police officer involved was Mount Pleasant’s Student Resource Officer — Mica Waters.

Waters is a highly respected officer, and GoLocal named her as one of the “20 Who Made a Difference in Rhode Island in 2020.”

She stood out. At a time when Providence and the country was divided, Waters brought people together.

“Why Can’t I Be Blue and Support BLM? Why Can’t I Be Black & Support the Blue?” wrote Waters in a column published by GoLocal. 

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Chair of the Providence School Board Erlin Rogel voiced concern about the safety of students and faculty.

“The district’s most important charge is the safety of all students and staff. The district and the police department are still investigating the incident that occurred at Mt. Pleasant high school so I will refrain from making any specific comments about this incident until I learn more," said Rogel.

"What I can emphasize and reinforce to our school community is that the school board has regularly brought up student safety at its meetings. We’ve received presentations on school building security, emergency procedures, and have offered feedback on areas we think need updating. We will continue to be strong student safety advocates,” Rogel added.

 

Second Serious Incident in Less than Two Weeks

Less than two weeks ago, a middle school student took a loaded gun with an extended magazine to school.GoLocal was first to report that incident on October 12: 

A juvenile has been charged after bringing a loaded gun to a school in Providence.

GoLocal has learned that the incident occurred on Wednesday at Del Sesto Middle School in Providence, which is located off of Hartford Avenue. 

According to police, a teacher searched a student’s “suspicious-looking backpack” — and found a gun with an extended magazine and bullets.

The Providence School Committee took up the issue of the gun at Del Sesto in Middle School, but had the discussion in closed session.