COURIER L 12 IFE, MARCH 15–21, 2019 M BR B G
Delay not okay
City too slow to notify Bay Academy
parents of shooting threat, pol says
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
A Sheepshead Bay pol blasted city education
offi cials for failing to immediately
notify parents after someone
threatened to open fi re inside an Emmons
Avenue school last week.
Cops on March 7 cuffed an 11-yearold
girl for threatening to shoot up the
FLIP
hallways of Bay Academy in an Instagram
post shared the day before, police
COP CONVICTED
the victim received stitches for
wounds on his mouth, and treatment
for bruising and a contusion
on his head, as well as for cuts and
an injured shoulder. And authorities
caught up with Baror the next day,
cuffi ng him on Jan. 2, and issuing
him a 30-day suspension before placing
him on modifi ed duty.
Baror, who formerly patrolled Transit
District 32 in Crown Heights, is currently
out on bail and suspended from
the force without pay, according to Police
Department spokeswoman Sgt.
Jessica McRorie.
The cop lives in Brooklyn, according
to offi cials, who refused to specify what
neighborhood he resides in because he
is still with the Police Department.
Supreme Court Justice Danny
Chun is set to sentence the cop —
whom jurors also convicted of reckless
driving, leaving the scene of an
incident without reporting, improper
display of plates, and improper use of
a siren — on May 8.
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said.
“Can’t wait for tomorrow shooting.
Bay Academy kids watch out,” read
the March 6 post shared from handle
@joshk817, whose account has since
been removed from the social platform.
Department of Education offi cials
chose not to close the middle school between
E. 14th and 15th streets on the day
of the alleged threat after reporting it to
authorities, who deemed it unfounded
following an investigation, according to
an agency rep.
“Safety always comes fi rst, and this
unfounded threat was immediately reported
to the NYPD and thoroughly investigated,”
said Miranda Barbot.
But Education Department leaders
failed to notify Bay Academy parents
of the threat until the morning that the
alleged shooting was set to take place
— after students already showed up for
class, according to Councilman Chaim
Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay).
“It’s totally unacceptable how the
process went down,” he said. “It took
about eight hours, and they only sent
out the notice at 9 am, after schools start
at 7:45 am. It’s common sense that you
should send it out before school starts
the next day.”
The delay sparked confusion among
many moms and dads awaiting an offi
cial response after their kids saw the
menacing post, claimed the pol, who
said many of those parents proactively
pulled their children from class while
Education Department offi cials got
around to addressing the incident.
“I would not feel comfortable having
my kids go into school without hearing
from DOE,” Deutsch said.
The councilman alerted offi cers
with the Police Department’s Counterterrorism
Division and other offi cials
after a constituent told him about the
post at 11:30 pm the day it appeared, he
said, to ensure the middle school and its
students were secure before the fi rst bell
rang on the day of the alleged threat.
“We made sure there was a strong police
presence,” he said.
And Bay Academy’s principal ultimately
excused the absences of kids
who stayed home before offi cials’ formally
addressed the threat.
“Some families choose to keep their
children out of school in light of the reported
threat. We will be deeming such
absences excused for such children,”
Maria Timo said in a statement sent to
parents after school began on March 7.
Following the incident, Deutsch
promised to push for legislation that
would establish standard protocols
for city educators to follow when responding
to future threats, because
he claimed no such set guidelines currently
exist.
“I put in a bill to have a protocol,” he
said. “DOE needs to show ownership,
leadership and responsibility.”
driver remained on the scene until
cops arrived.
Police have yet to fi le any charges,
and their investigation is ongoing, offi
cers said.
Clinton, who lived in Marine Park
for 41 years, is survived by her four
children, nine grandchildren, and
four great-grandchildren, her daughter
said.
SENIOR DEAD
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