Latest news with #studentSafety
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Cambridge boat race clash with travellers' funfair sparks safety fears after student 'attacked by catapult-wielding teens who spit at rowers and use sandwiches as missiles'
The safety of Cambridge University students is feared to be at risk amid a potential flashpoint between historic boat races and a travellers' fair on the same weekend. Concerns have intensified after a student rower putting their boat away was hit by a metal nut fired from a catapult by teenagers sitting across the river last summer. Other incidents in previous years have included youths spitting at boats while leaning over the edge of bridges as well as sandwiches and bananas being used as missiles. Another clash is feared ahead of the May Bumps rowing event which takes place between June 18 and 21; with the Midsummer Fair on between June 18 and 22. The fair is a popular traveller gathering held on Midsummer Common, opposite many college boathouses, and is one of England's oldest such events dating back to 1211. But a spate of recent incidents has led Dr Isabel Nimmo, chairwoman of Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs (CUCBC), to express fears about student safety. In an email to college captains, Dr Nimmo said she was considering not racing on the Friday and Saturday, which are the two busiest days of the fair, for safety reasons. She has also asked police to patrol the river to avoid any problems, although pointed out that there were not any problems when the two events clashed years ago. One boats captain, who did not want to be named, told The Times: 'None of us want Bumps to be cancelled, but we also don't want it to be unsafe either. 'When the fair's on we're usually advised to steer clear of the boathouses entirely so I'm definitely worried about racing on the last two days.' One rower told university newspaper Varsity that, during a previous Midsummer Fair, a group of three young people used 'a catapult to fire metal 10mm nuts' at him and his friend while putting their boat away – one of which left his leg bleeding. Another rower, speaking about training during past Midsummer Fairs, told the publication: 'Normally it's manageable; the only thing to look out for is the occasional person throwing stuff at you.' Captains are also worried about the 'Boatie Mash', which is a party after the Bumps in a Cambridge club shared with locals – and have advised rowers not to attend. But the Friends, Families and Travellers charity, which combats discrimination against travellers, has accused CUCBC members of promoting 'harmful stereotypes'. A spokesman said: 'It is alarming that, despite no evidence, time and resources are being directed toward scapegoating and demonising gypsy and traveller people.' The Showmen's Guild, which organises the fair, said: 'We have meetings every year with the Police and SAG [safety advisory group] that is formed to deal with this event. 'We have never at any of our meetings had any reports of incidents regarding rowers from any of those involved with the SAG group. 'To my knowledge this is the first year we have a clash with Bumps; we cannot control anything that happens outside of our perimeter for the event.' A CUCBC spokesman said: 'A small number of boat clubs expressed concerns about the timing of May Bumps this year, as it partly overlaps with the Midsummer Fair, another mass spectator event. 'Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs have held positive discussions with relevant local bodies and are not concerned that Midsummer Fair will interfere with the smooth running of the event.'
Times
2 days ago
- Times
Town v gown: safety fears for Cambridge rowers with fair date clash
Since Cambridge University was established in 1209 clashes between locals and students — or town and gown — have periodically reared their head. But although some underlying resentment may remain, violence between the two groups looked to have ended. That was until last summer when one student rower, while putting their boat away, was hit with a 10mm nut fired from a catapult by a group of teenagers sitting across the river. They and the other rowers had to sneak out of a side door of the clubhouse as they continued to be targeted. This and a spate of other incidents, such as youths spitting at boats off bridges and sandwiches being used as missiles, have prompted the chairwoman of Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs (CUCBC) to write to college captains to express concern about student safety. College boat clubs are being given the option not to race on the Friday and Saturday of Bumps ALAMY In her email, Dr Isabel Nimmo said the next flashpoint could be a weekend this month between the May Bumps, an annual set of college boat club races on the River Cam, and the Midsummer Fair, a centuries-old cultural event rooted in Gypsy and Traveller histories, held on the common opposite many college boathouses. She said she had contacted the police and asked them to have officers patrolling the river to avoid any conflict, adding that colleges were also in contact with the local force. Nimmo said that after concerns were raised with her about the clash she was proposing giving clubs the option of not racing on the Friday and Saturday of Bumps — the two busiest days of Midsummer Fair — for safety reasons. She added that any college that chose not to take part on those days could have their finish positions preserved from any racing on Wednesday and Thursday. In Bumps the finishing position is the starting order for next year's event, prompting some participants to question why any crew should bother competing at all. • The truth about misbehaviour at Cambridge Nimmo admitted in the correspondence that when the Bumps and Midsummer Fair clashed years ago 'things ran smoothly' and there were no problems. The proposal is set to be debated at a captains' meeting before the rowing begins on Wednesday, June 18. Her intervention has prompted 'deep concern' from Friends, Families and Travellers, a leading Gypsy, Roma and Traveller charity set up to combat discrimination. 'It is alarming that, despite no evidence, time and resources are being directed toward scapegoating and demonising Gypsy and Traveller people,' a spokesman said, adding that CUCBC members were promoting 'harmful stereotypes' against the community. One lower boats captain, who did not want to be named, said: 'None of us want Bumps to be cancelled, but we also don't want it to be unsafe either. 'When the fair's on we're usually advised to steer clear of the boathouses entirely so I'm definitely worried about racing on the last two days.' College boat captains are also said to be concerned about 'Boatie Mash', the post-Bumps party that takes place in a Cambridge club that will be shared on the night with locals. Captains are said to have warned rowers against attending and told any who insist not to wear their blazers, ties or college stash [clothing bearing the name of their college]. A Trinity Hall rower said of a previous incident: 'Some young people, probably no older than 15, were leaning over the bridge attempting to spit on us as we passed under. One of them successfully landed their spit all over my legs.' Another university rower said: 'I've definitely had issues with town kids throwing stuff at us. I've been hit with sandwiches and a banana peel.' • The Boat Race 2025 is faster, older and more foreign than ever The Showmen's Guild, which organises the Midsummer Fair, said: 'We have never at any of our meetings had any reports of incidents regarding rowers from any of those involved with the SAG [safety advisory group].' CUCBC said: 'A small number of boat clubs expressed concerns about the timing of May Bumps this year, as it partly overlaps with the Midsummer Fair, another mass spectator event. Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs have held positive discussions with relevant local bodies and are not concerned that Midsummer Fair will interfere with the smooth running of the event.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Former Malone superintendent recalls dramatic end to 2015 grad ceremony amid prison break
Jun. 7—MALONE — The infamous 2015 Dannemora prison break coincided with the end of the school year, which led to wide concerns about student safety. It ended up concluding on what was graduation weekend for many local school districts, causing turmoil for ceremony and party plans. Jerry Griffin, who was the Malone Central School District superintendent at the time, recalls its ripple effects on the tail end of the 2014-15 school year and the unforgettable graduation ceremony that took place as a result. On that first weekend when the public learned David Sweat and Richard Matt had cut through their cell walls and escaped through the sewer, Griffin recalls not being concerned since Sweat and Matt were initially believed to be headed away from Franklin County. "What I recall is when it first happened, the next day at school, our understanding was they had fled the north country completely and they were gone somewhere else. I didn't think a whole lot about it," said Griffin, who is now Potsdam Central's superintendent. Not long after, "(law enforcement) felt they were still in the north country and potentially heading towards Malone. And that was just in a couple days." "I remember a lot of parents being concerned about sending their kids to school. I remember working closely with local and state law enforcement. They were great, really great to work with," Griffin said. "There were a couple days, at our elementary school, we did not allow our kids to go out for recess. There were a couple days when the search really intensified in the Malone area." Malone's high school graduation was scheduled for July 27, 2015. Griffin recalled a debate over holding graduation indoors, rather than outside on the athletic field. "There was a lot of concern because Salmon River runs behind it. There was talk, are they walking along the river?" Griffin said. "I remember having a meeting and specifically deciding we re going to have graduation outside and not in the gym," he said. Indoors, it would have limited attendees to four per student. Griffin said security is a concern even for a normal year. The Franklin Academy campus is accessible by foot from "a few different spots." Police ended up guarding the event and keeping an eye on all the potential access points. "I remember looking at that hill (from the stage) ... and there were armed law enforcement officers," which Griffin described as "a really weird feeling, but reassuring." He remembers thinking to himself, "this is the time we're living in, that's what graduation looks like." The ceremony ended on quite the memorable note. The event included presenting a diploma to a World War II veteran from Duane who had been drafted and served while still in high school. In New York, school superintendents have the authority to give honorary diplomas to veterans who were drafted as teenagers and couldn't finish their studies as a result. That evening of June 27, the veteran's senior granddaughter was also to receive her diploma. However, in their nearby hometown, "there were roads that were closed in that area and they were not able to come to graduation They could not get through. It was devastating," Griffin said. The high school principal at the time, Brandon Pelkey, was able to pull some strings, Griffin recalls. "He had some connections in law enforcement. He got word out that this was happening." Because of that, police working the area where the vet and his granddaughter lived let them through under escort, but the family didn't arrive until the ceremony had just ended. "The grad ceremony had just ended. The kids had thrown their hats, people were happy, it was the end of the ceremony. We were able to stop everything, and Mr. Pelkey did a great job getting everybody under control real quick in order to officially have the granddaughter walk across stage and the grandfather who was a vet walk across the stage. Mr. Pelkey made sure they had their moment," Griffin said. That's a story I'll always remember," he added, "and I'm sure they'll always remember it as well." Readers responded with brief stories of their own on The Malone Telegram's Facebook page, under a post asking for their memories of the three-week saga. Two of them recalled the shadow it cast over a wedding and a graduation party. "We have a camp in Mt View and were getting married on July 4th thank God they captured the 2nd one ... We thought we were going to have a shotgun wedding as to Mt View was crawling with Troopers, CO's, Vermont Troopers, FBI and many more. We were scared for our grandchildren and would not allow them outside," one comment reads in part. "We were having a Graduation party on Third St. in Malone the day the second one was shot. We were put in lockdown and no one could leave or come back on the street. We also met Dog the Bounty hunter that day," another commenter wrote.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
APS teacher arrested after accusations of sexual relationships with students
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –An Albuquerque Public School teacher is out of a job after he's accused of having inappropriate relationships with students. The criminal complaint highlights multiple concerns from parents, fellow teachers, and students that launched the investigation. Albuquerque man who founded an aerospace start-up company facing federal charges A little over a year ago, Albuquerque Public School teachers reported concerning behavior from a John Adams Middle School teacher while out on a field trip to Urban Air. A criminal complaint stated that while on the bus to Urban Air, teachers and the bus driver saw then 33-year-old Patrick Corr lying across two female students' laps after he was told to sit down. Also on that trip, a student said she felt extremely uncomfortable seeing Corr pick up and toss a handful of female students in the ball pit, she claims without consent. That was all reported to the school's principal and an internal investigation began. Corr was placed on administrative leave at the end of the 2024 school year, as APS police investigated. That was just the tip of the iceberg. As the next school year started, staff found letters in Corr's classroom from students. The letters calling the teacher, 'Daddy Corr,' 'hot,' and that 'they love him.' The complaint goes on to mention two female victims, a 16-year-old and and a 17-year-old, who spent the night at Corr's home. The 17-year-old was Corr's former student. She said they had been Snapchatting since 2020, when she started eighth grade and they also sent inappropriate photos to each other at least once. She told officers he bought alcohol for her and her 16-year-old cousin before taking them to his home. The complaint states the teen was drunk but remembers Corr having sex with her, and the following morning he gave her Plan B. Another teen victim claimed that while drinking, Corr got her pregnant twice. She ended both pregnancies. A search warrant from Corr's Snapchat account showed 50 usernames were either former students at John Adams or were currently enrolled there. Police arrested Corr Monday night, he faces a slew of charges including three counts of having sex with a minor. The conduct Patrick Corr is accused of is reprehensible. APS Police first began its investigation into an allegation against Mr. Corr in May 2024, and he was placed on leave that same month. He tendered his resignation on May 14, 2025. Due to the allegations being criminal in nature and because we didn't want to jeopardize the criminal case, we allowed the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office to take the lead in the investigation in August 2024. APS has cooperated throughout the investigation. Prior to being hired by APS, Mr. Corr underwent an extensive background check, which included being fingerprinted, and he cleared that background check. Mr. Corr was a teacher at John Adams Middle School from 2019 until he was placed on leave. As the investigation is still ongoing, the district will have no further comment at this time. Martin Salazar, APS Communications Director Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
27-05-2025
- CBC
Yukon teacher worked while under investigation over allegations of harm toward students
A Yukon's teacher placed on leave was able to cover several shifts while being investigated for allegations of harm or abuse toward students at a different school. The CBC's Virginie Ann has more.
