How Secure is Knox County Schools Inadequate Security Systems?

February 25, 2013 in Community, Current Events, Elected Officials, General, Government, Knox County, Knox County School Board, Knox County Schools, News Sentinel, Politics, Schools Central Office

This morning, Jamie Satterfield, Reporter at the Big Metal Shed on the Hill aka Knox News Sentinel has this story. It seems that someone took a photograph of an inadequate security system at Farragut Middle School and sent it to Satterfield.

The reaction from Knox County School Boarder Thomas Deakins reaction is really kind of odd, I thought. Deakins said in the story, “For all I know these pictures may have been taken when maintenance was being performed on the servers or someone just decided to create a nice little controversy,” Also, the Farragut Middle PTSA President is attributed in the article, ..she has seen the room where the photographed equipment was located, “but I’ve never seen it like that.” The article went to attribute to the PTSA President …that as a parent she has always put her faith in the administration in seeing to it that her child was safe. She said she also has a good relationship with the school’s administration and believes they would have shared any problems with her. Her objectivity has to be called into question after revealing a blood oath she suddenly feels to the administration.

The knee jerk reaction alleging sabotage is like throwing a cold bucket of water on a potential whistle blower.

This begs to question, how secure is your security system if it can be sabotaged? What business does the PTSA President have being in a secured area? A secure area where employees, students may be under surveillance and investigation.

A follow-up blog post will be forthcoming encouraging all school employees to utilize Knox County’s anonymous tip line. This tip line is independent of the school district and sources are protected. As Satterfield said this morning on the Ed and Bob Show on WNOX 100.3 FM. It is as if as a prisoner you get beaten by the guards. You then file a complaint with the guards. It isn’t going to help you. So if the reaction will be this is sabotage. I would suggest utilizing the County Mayor’s tip line.