ST PAUL, Minn. — Andrew Banker said he was excited to be brought on as a part-time chemistry teacher after he started student teaching at Harding High School in 2019.
He was looking forward to having students back in the classroom after the pandemic, but didn't expect all of the violent incidents to take place in Harding halls.
"When the third incident happened, we were all just very desperate, and really wanting to see something change," he said.
Last April, the Saint Paul Police Department said staff learned of an incident after a video circulated on social media of a student with a BB gun pointing at another student in a Harding bathroom.
Banker said just two weeks after that, he helped staff members call for help when another student brought a loaded firearm to school.
"I was teaching my sixth-hour class and heard some commotion in the hallway," he said. "One of the security staff members was grabbing a student and trying to put them into it administrator's office. Her walkie-talkie had fallen on the ground. So she kicked it over to me and asked me to call for backup. So I radioed for backup."
At the time, it was the third incident during the school year involving guns.
"At one of the all-staff meetings that we had, I remember saying we are lucky no one died today," said Banker. "We should respond as if someone died."
He said that he tried to take action and documented student and staff input about safety.
"The only communication I got was an email from HR saying you're under investigation," he said. Banker said he didn't return the following school year because he felt unsafe and that his voice was stifled.
SPPS Assistant Superintendent Nancy Paez said they've always had open conversations with staff.
"I wouldn't say that it's just now a serious discussion," said Paez. "I think that with these unfortunate recent incidents, we are looking to accelerate some of the conversations we've been having."
On Feb. 10, 15-year-old Devin Scott was stabbed to death inside Harding High School. As a result, the district has had multiple meetings with the Harding community and added extra police officers outside five district high schools.
"Some immediate changes have been made as a result," said Paez.
Banker said he's glad more conversations are happening, but they should have happened sooner.
"We could have treated those other situations as if someone had died," said Banker. "And we could have done something different."
The district said they've always taken violent incidents seriously and will continue to take input from the community at a Tuesday night community meeting about school safety.
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