Cove Creek locks

down Tuesday
By Caroline Monday
cmonday@mountaintimes.com

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Cove Creek Elementary School held a lockdown Tuesday afternoon, when a student's parent, who did not have permission to see the child, arrived at the school.

The school had received a court document stating that the parent was denied custody of the child and was not allowed to contact him or her.

School staff recognized the parent before she entered the building, and principal Tom Trexler kept the parent in his office until the Watauga County Sheriff's Office responded to escort her off campus.

The school decided to hold a lockdown as precautionary measure, though no students were in immediate danger. "We felt it was best for the safety of everyone concerned," Trexler said, adding that he and the staff did not know the nature of her business at the school. "I just pulled her into my office and talked with her until the [sheriff] came," he said.

Marshall Gasperson, Watauga County school director of safe schools and student services, said the school followed a procedure that would be followed at any of the county's schools under similar circumstances.

Gasperson said the school collects custody documentation from each student when they enroll. This documentation informs the school of who has custody of a child, or if a guardian only has custody on specific days.

He said the school had received a court order prohibiting the parent involved in Tuesday's lockdown from having contact with the student, noting that court orders are made for a reason.

Trexler felt it appropriate to briefly lock down the school in order to ensure that each student was accounted for until the parent was escorted off the campus, Gasperson said.

A letter went out to parents at Cove Creek School on Wednesday, informing them of what had happened.

"At no time did we feel that there was danger to the students at Cove Creek," Watauga County schools superintendent Bobbie Short said. "We would always rather be safe than sorry that we didn't have a lockdown."

Short said she felt the precautionary measure was handled "expertly" and "very professionally." All county schools prepare for the possibility of a lockdown with drills.

"I'm just glad to know our staff and our children know exactly what to do, and they do it," Short said.
Sheriff Len Hagaman said he was satisfied with how his office responded to the incident.

"We responded the way we're supposed to from a procedural stand point," he said. "Everything went according to plan on our end."