OXFORD, Mich. – There is frustration Wednesday in light of the decision announced by the school board Tuesday night.
On Tuesday, the board decided there would be no independent review until the litigation concluded. The problem is that it’s likely three to five years away.
Once again, the Oxford school board has declined the attorney general’s office of doing that investigation at no cost to the district.
Read: ‘My best friend deserves more’: Oxford students, parents, talk school safety
“Everybody wants to talk about Oxford strong, but at the end of the day, Oxford strong means let’s take a look at this,” said Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre. “Let’s figure out what went wrong, and let’s change it because being accountable is being strong.”
Tate Myer’s father is disgusted but not surprised at the district’s decision to investigate independently.
“It’s not surprising, but it still angers us,” Buck Myre said. “To me, this is an admission of guilt.”
The Oxford school board informed parents Tuesday night that it is declining for the second time the offer of the AG’s office to come in and do that independent probe.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement:
“The school board’s unwillingness to partner with my department on this effort flies in the face of transparency.”
Nessel says a probe is useless without cooperation from the district as there would be no access to any materials.
“The rejection sends a message that the board is more focused on limiting liability than responding to the loud outcry from the Oxford community to deliver greater peace of mind to the students, parents, and educators that lived through this traumatic event,” Nessel said.
Attorney Ven Johnson, who is representing the Myer’s and other Oxford families, sees the decision as a gut punch for the families involved.
“I find it incredibly, one tragedy after another in this situation, and the one thing that could be done, that the school board controls have an investigation.”
Students and their family members say they want accountability and understanding as to why the incident happened and why it took place in the first place.
