Latest news with #Polachek
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun advocacy group says speaker ‘shamefully lied' about surviving school shooting at Frankfort rally
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A national gun safety organization said one of its featured speakers during a Frankfort news conference lied about being a gun violence survivor. On Feb. 12, FOX 56 covered a gun safety rally hosted by Everytown, an organization focused on ending gun violence. Gun advocacy group says speaker 'shamefully lied' about surviving school shooting at Frankfort rally Crystal Rogers case: Steve Lawson's stepchildren, former coworkers testify on day 2 of trial Paducah man claims he was stabbed over lawn-mowing argument Multiple people spoke at the event, including a University of Louisville student, Calvin Polachek. Everytown identified Polachek as a gun violence survivor in the press release sent to FOX 56 and other media outlets. During the rally, Polachek told an emotional story of a school shooting at his high school in Dallas, Pennsylvania, claiming his best friend and several classmates were killed. However, in the past 24 hours, FOX 56 has received numerous emails and messages from community members in Dallas saying the story Polachek told was a complete lie. 'The sentiments I was getting from our community were troubled and disappointed, and maybe a little bit more severe than that,' said Dallas School District superintendent Thomas Duffy. Duffy said the district never experienced the shooting Polachek described. 'There certainly was some discomfort with a story like that being reported about in a relatively small district in the northeast part of that state,' Duffy added. 'The events that were described did not take place, thankfully, in our district.' Duffy said the district is working with its attorney to ensure parents and families know the truth. Kentucky's most misspelled word, according to study Drug overdoses see major decline: How Kentucky measures up UFO sightings in Kentucky: A look back on past 30 years 'They were well aware that this didn't occur here, and obviously our current parents and families, but just to affirm that the information conveyed about this horrific act of school violence was inaccurate,' said Duffy. Concern over Polachek's story isn't limited to Pennsylvania. Kentucky officials who attended the rally are speaking out, too. Kentucky State Representative Adam Moore was one of the speakers that day and said he is deeply troubled by what happened. 'Even if this is a person who is on my side of an issue, if that means responsible gun ownership, that does not mean that the lie is okay,' Moore said. 'I hate this. It is absolutely unethical and plain wrong to be lying about this stuff, even if he's on my side of the issue.' FOX 56 reached out to Everytown to ask when they learned Polachek's story wasn't true, which they said was after its Kentucky Advocacy Day. A spokesperson said, 'Calvin Polachek is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and we are deeply disappointed that someone would exploit the tragic, lived experience of many to use our platform to share a story that was not true. Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers, and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true. This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Trump escalates war of words on Putin as Ukraine ceasefire deal stalls President Trump's latest pardons include reality TV stars, Capitol rioters, and convicted sheriff Trump pardons former GOP Rep. Michael Grimm amid clemency spree FOX 56 also asked if Everytown is required to notify media outlets when something like this happens. The spokesperson reiterated what they said in the previous statement, saying, 'We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' We have learned that Polachek was a student in the Dallas School District. We reached out to him for comment, but haven't heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says Kentucky college student from Pa. lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and we are deeply disappointed that someone would exploit the tragic, lived experience of many to use our platform to share a story that was not true,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. 'It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth.' This story may be updated.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dallas 2017 school shooting fabricated by 2020 graduate
May 28—A story in a Kentucky newspaper published online Feb. 12 included quotes from a Dallas School District graduate claiming he survived a school shooting at the high school in 2017. The claims of a school shooting at Dallas High School were false, resulting in the school district and Dallas Township Police Chief Doug Higgins to issue separate statements Wednesday. "The district is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017. Thankfully, that never happened. The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate. Our District Solicitor is supporting an investigation and communication regarding the circulating clip," the statement from Dallas School District says. The statement from Dallas Township Police Chief Doug Higgins was more vocal condemning the fabricated story. The Kentucky Lantern newspaper attributed information of a school shooting at Dallas to Calvin Polachek, a 2020 graduate of Dallas. Polachek, who was identified as a master's student at the University of Louisville, spoke at a gun safety rally held at the Kentucky capitol building. As he spoke, Polachek claimed he was involved in a school shooting and his best friend, his brother and nine others were killed, according to the Kentucky Lantern article published Feb. 12. The Feb. 12 article and a video clip of Polachek speaking at the Kentucky capitol rally were recently posted on Back Mountain social media sites prompting the Dallas School District and Chief Higgins to respond. Efforts to contact Polachek were unsuccessful Wednesday morning. The story in the Kentucky Lantern was updated Wednesday with the removal of Polachek's quotes. Below is the statement from Chief Higgins: The Dallas Township Police Department is aware of recent public statements made by former Dallas High School student Calvin Polachek during a February 2025, rally in Frankfort, Kentucky. The event, organized by the Kentucky chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, supported the introduction of Kentucky House Bill 214 by (Kentucky) State Representative Adam Moore, which promotes gun safety education. At the rally, Mr. Polachek claimed that in 2017 he survived a school shooting at Dallas High School in Dallas, Pennsylvania, an incident in which he said he lost his best friend, his brother and nine others. These claims are entirely false. Nonetheless, they were reported by multiple Kentucky media outlets, including Fox 56 in Lexington and the Kentucky Lantern, and have since spread nationally across platforms such as MSN, Yahoo News, various online publications and social media. The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful. It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth. Let us be absolutely clear: This event never occurred. There has never been a school shooting at Dallas High School. Not in 2017, and not at any point in our community's history. These false claims are deeply troubling. They undermine the integrity of our school district, erode public trust, and cause real harm to a community that takes great pride in protecting its residents, especially its children. We support the mission of those working to make schools safer. That work is vital. But effective advocacy must be built on truth. Falsely referencing a tragedy that never happened disrespects the memory of actual victims and distracts from meaningful progress. The Dallas Township Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, public trust, and the safety of our schools. We urge the public and the media to verify facts before sharing serious allegations. Misinformation of this nature isn't just irresponsible, it has lasting consequences for the well-being of our entire community. The people of Dallas Township deserve honesty. And we will continue to uphold the values of transparency, accountability and safety for every family who calls this community and our surrounding areas home.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says UofL student lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and we are deeply disappointed that someone would exploit the tragic, lived experience of many to use our platform to share a story that was not true,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. 'It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth.' This story may be updated.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gun safety group says UofL student lied about surviving high school shooting
Calvin Polachek, center, in jacket and tie, said he survived a mass shooting at his Pennsylvania high school during a gun safety rally in February at the Kentucky Capitol. The shooting never happened, according to organizers, the local school system and police. (Sarah Ladd/ Kentucky Lantern) Everytown for Gun Safety says a man who spoke at a February rally for gun safety it helped organize in Frankfort lied about his experience surviving a school shooting. The event, which the Lantern and other media outlets covered, happened Feb. 12 in the Kentucky State Capitol. Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action hosted a variety of speakers who advocated against gun violence. One of the speakers, Calvin Polachek, said that when he was a high school student in Pennsylvania, he lost people in a school shooting, including claiming that he saw his best friend lying in a pool of blood. Polachek 'is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action, and we are deeply disappointed that someone would exploit the tragic, lived experience of many to use our platform to share a story that was not true,' Sarah Boland Heine, the senior director of communications for Everytown, said in a Wednesday statement. The Lantern reached out to Moms Demand Action, which is part of the Everytown gun safety group network, after receiving numerous messages from people who said they were classmates or relatives of Polachek and that the shooting never happened 'Calvin reached out to our Kentucky chapter, shamefully lied to our volunteers and shared a tragic story that we later learned was not true,' Heine said. 'This is an affront to the countless survivors of gun violence who show extraordinary courage every day by reliving their darkest moments in service of the fight to end our country's gun violence crisis. We are revisiting our guidance to our grassroots networks in an effort to ensure this never happens again.' Polachek did not immediately respond to Facebook and LinkedIn messages from the Lantern. Polachek was identified as a University of Louisville student at the rally. A UofL spokesperson said Wednesday that he is currently a graduate student. The Dallas School District, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, said in a Wednesday statement that it 'is aware of a video clip and accompanying article that appears to depict a former Dallas student speaking about a school shooting at Dallas in 2017.' 'Thankfully, that never happened,' the school said. 'The discussion on the clip about Dallas and school violence is not factually accurate.' The school district did not immediately return a voicemail from the Lantern. Meanwhile, the Dallas Township Police Department said the claims made that day at the rally are 'entirely false.' 'The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless, it is harmful,' the police department said in a news release. 'It fuels unnecessary fear, disrespects the experiences of real victims of school violence and misleads the public with a narrative that has no basis in truth.' This story may be updated.
