LSRHS Stabbing

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This page is an attempt to collect current information about the incident on Friday January 19 at my son's high school (Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School) where a student stabbed and killed another student. Some of the early news reports have been inaccurate or misleading, and as shocking and sad as this tragedy is, it's tempting to make quick judgments.

Please feel free to add information and sources. Or, you may prefer to add your comments to the discussion page. I'm especially interested in any information that's found to be incorrect as the facts come out -- please, please let me know! (And please note, I can't "contact the school" to confirm anything. If LS is following the law (and I'd expect them to), they won't disclose any private educational information).

Note that the administration has highlighted a number of items reported in the press that are (a) incomplete/missing important context, or (b) outright inaccurate. Part of the goal here is to merge the news reports with the administration reports.

Links:

References:

Contents

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The Victim

The victim was James F. Alenson, a freshman, 15 yrs old (not 17 yrs old as was reported for most of the morning). He was pronounced dead at Emerson Hospital in nearby Concord at 8:12am.

He is reported to be an "A-student".

His family moved to Sudbury from Natick in the fall of 2006. Dr. Ritchie said that they had a difficult time identifying James -- he had no backpack, and was new to LS.

The family will have a private memorial service. James is reported to have been buried early in the week of January 22.

The LS student paper, published January 23, included an obituary for James.

The family is inviting people to send written memories or photos of James to 365 Boston Post Road, Box 140, Sudbury 01776.

There is a guest book for James here and an R.I.P. James Alenson Facebook page (login required).

References:

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The Assailant

The alleged assailant is John Odgren, 16 yrs old, of Princeton. He is a sophomore at LS and is known as "Jack". His home school district is the Wachusett Regional School District.

Odgren was arraigned Friday afternoon in Framingham as an adult on the charge of murder, and he pleaded not guilty.

Odgren's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said Odgren has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism (see below for more information). According to a state report (also, see below), Odgren has also been diagnosed with depression and ADHD.

Around the time of Odgren's arraignment, Shapiro said that Odgren had been taking "numerous" medications for many years, but has not disclosed which medications. "The defendant has a history of fairly serious psychological diagnoses and has also suffered from hyperactivity dysfunction for many years," Shapiro said. "What is clear is John has a serious disability." Shapiro later clarified his position in a letter to the editor of the MetroWest Daily News.

Immediately after the assault, other students described him to reporters as a "really creepy kid" who often wore a trench coat and talked about murder, forensics and how he wanted to make a bomb. Odgren's interest in forensics and his participation in a crime scene investigation program at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner in 2005 has been widely reported.

Shapiro said Paul Odgren is a cell research biologist at University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. He said Dorothy "Dot" Odgren is a registered nurse. She has worked as school nurse in Holden.

Shapiro said Odgren is being held without bail in a Department of Youth Services facility in Plymouth. Shapiro said rules set by the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, which oversees the facility, typically allow no visits from family or friends during the first 11 days of incarceration. Odgren's parents were allowed to visit their son after Shapiro complained to officials, he said.

Odgren is scheduled to be in Framingham District Court on Friday Feb 2nd for a status hearing.

On Feb 1st, the Odgren family released a statement regarding the tragedy, addressed to Princeton community and friends. The statement is hosted at The Princeton Outlook.

References:

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Asperger's Syndrome

Children with Asperger's syndrome are often highly intelligent but lack social skills; they fixate on certain topics and chat about them constantly. Often they are unable to read other people's body language or facial cues. However, experts emphasize that Asperger's does not predispose a person to violent behavior.

Grace Peng, a board member of the Asperger's Association of New England and a resident of Lincoln, said children with Asperger syndrome were generally non-violent.

"Any mom would feel horrible about what happened," said Peng. "The biggest thing I want people to understand is that I don't think this thing is because this kid has Asperger's. Asperger's doesn't make anyone more or less violent than anyone else."

Attending regular schools could help them to learn social skills, Peng said, but it had a down side. Because children with Asperger's lacked social skills, they were often bullied in school or ostracized, she said, and some had clinical depression.

Peng, whose 13-year-old son has Asperger's, said her son was both teased and ignored by other students when he attended public school. Since her son began attending a private school for special needs students last fall (2006), she has seen a big improvement in his self-esteem.

News reports and references:

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MySpace Page

Odgren's MySpace page is here. His MySpace user ID is "whatnottodowithanicepick". His two blog entries are here. He opened his MySpace account in August of 2006. In one of his blog entries (posted Sept-06), he says:

I'm glad to fianlly turn sixteen. I can finally legally drive and buy hunting knives in Massachusetts. Of course, in both categories I'm rather hesitant, as I'm nervous that I might begin to channel Tommy Versetti [sic] while I'm in the process of doing either thing.

Tommy Vercetti is the protagonist in the Grand Theft Auto video game series.

Odgren's alleged interest in knives has been widely reported, and at least one parent has alleged (on the LSPO mailing list, unconfirmed) that Odgren had been previously expelled for knife possession.

The specific type of knife used has not been reported, other than to say it was a "long knife".

In addition, he is apparently a fan of the "The Office", as many of his MySpace friends are characters on that TV show and his page says he wants to meet the cast.

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Previous Case of Knife Carried to School

Sudbury's police chief Peter Fadgen has said that Odgren brought a pocketknife and fake handgun to school on separate occasions, but was not disciplined or reported to police.

Chief Fadgen told The Boston Globe that a psychologist at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School confiscated the items from Odgren, but returned them by the end of the school day. He would not name the psychologist, but did not know if the psychologist was employed by the school or an outside agency. The psychologist told his/her supervisor about the incidents, but Superintendent Ritchie was not informed.

The school is required by law to report children who bring weapons to school to local police, Fadgen said.

The press has reported on parent "outrage" on the handling of these previous incidents.

News reports:

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Education History

The Globe has reported on Odgren's recent educational history:

School Timeframe Annual Cost Notes
Caldwell Alternative School (Fitchburg, MA) January - March 2003  ??? Described in state special ed report (see below).
Pathways Academy (McLean Hospital) March 2003 - ??? $81,000 After difficulty at Caldwell, Odgren's parents removed him and placed him at Pathways.
The Learning Clinic (Brooklyn, CT)  ???-June-2005? $43-$53,000 Private school for special-needs students. 70 students enrolled, many with Asperger's.
Lincoln-Sudbury (GO Program) Sept 2005-present $39,000 See below.

Odgren rode a school van, about an hour each way, to The Learning Clinic and LS. His home school district (Wachusett Regional School District) pays for his special needs schooling.

Media references:

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State Special Education Report

A full copy of a 2003 state special ed report is available online (see below). The report uses a pseudonym, but it has been widely reported and believed that Odgren is the subject of this report.

The report is a decision by the State board of Special Education appeals to support and reimburse Odgren's placement in the Pathways Academy at the McLean Hospital in Belmont. He had previously been in the Caldwell Alternative School in Fitchburg. He started at Caldwell in January 2003, and it was a "difficult experience" for him. After numerous meetings, his parents rejected a recent IEP and enrolled Odgren in the Pathways Academy in March, 2003. The report notes that Pathways was a more positive experience for Odgren, and the the hearing officer found that Pathways provided an appropriate education.

A number of parents have asked about Odgren's history at parent meetings. At the 25-Jan meeting, William Keller Jr., chairman of the Sudbury Board of Selectmen, said officials could not discuss Odgren's status because of federal laws protecting medical privacy and because of the investigation.

References:

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Special Education: GO Program

Odgren was enrolled in the GO Program, a special education program. Great Opportunities (GO) has a full-time coordinator, two counseling assistants, and a clinical psychologist who frequently visits the school, according to the website. The officials said the specialists are well trained in emotional disorders and closely monitor students. The officials asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak about the case.

At the 25-Jan parent meeting, a number of parents questioned the screening criteria used for students admitted into this program (and other programs at LS). At that meeting, Edward Orenstein -- director of the Concord Area Special Education Collaborative (CASE), which placed Odgren in GO -- said he was not aware of the state report (disclosed by the Boston Globe) when Odgren was admitted to the program. He also said he was told by someone with knowledge of the state report that the incidents of physically aggressive behavior included throwing a book off a desk and kicking a fellow student in the shins. According to the Globe, the report obtained did not provide specific details about Odgren's behavior.

At that same meeting, Dr. Ritchie reported that there are 4 students currently in the GO program at LS.

The annual cost for a student in the GO program is $39,000 per year, according to the Boston Globe. These costs are reimbursed by the student's home district.

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Debate About Special Education Rights vs School Safety

This incident has triggered a broader debate on balancing the rights of special education students with school safety. Federal law (specifically, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004) requires students with disabilities to be educated in the "least restrictive environment" to the "maximum extent appropriate." Furthermore, students cannot be expelled for behaviors that are a result of their disability (see Section 504).

In cases where a student violates the school's code of conduct, the law requires a meeting to determine if the conduct was caused by or related to the student's disability (see Manifest Determination Meeting). If the conduct was a manifestation of the student's disability, then the team must conduct a functional behavioral assessment OR review a previously developed behavioral intervention plan. Then, the student must be returned to their placement, unless the team agrees to a change as part of a modified behavioral intervention plan.

The regulations provide for exceptions when the student carries or possesses a weapon, possesses uses or sells drugs, or assaults another person while at school. In those cases, the school may remove the student (for up to 45 days) without determining if the behavior was a manifestation of the disability.

See:

News reports:

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The Incident

{When is the building usually first open for students?}

Classes at LS start at 7:50am.

The assault is reported to have taken place in a boys bathroom in the East House section of the school. Dr. Ritchie reported that the assault took place at 7:20am.

The police arrived 7:30am.

Jack is reported to have walked into a classroom (or East House) with blood on his hands, saying "It was an accident, it was an accident." When the police arrived, Iaian Ryrie (West House house master) led the policeman to the East House house master's office, where Ogdren was with school employee John Flynn. Odgren said "I did it" to the policeman.

My son reports that an ambulance and firetrucks were already there at the school when he arrived at approximately 7:45am. Four police cars arrived shortly thereafter.

James was pronounced dead at 8:12am at Emerson Hospital. The Globe reports that he was attacked with a "long knife", was stabbed twice: once in the abdomen, and that the blade pierced his heart. The police report finding the knife in the bathroom.

By the school starting time, some students were turned away and sent home. The rest were locked down in the school, in the gym and/or cafeteria. The students were released around 10:20am. School for the rest of the day was canceled.

The staff had apparently rehearsed a plan for handling this sort of incident (a stabbing, in fact) on Wednesday.

No motive has been disclosed.

The school administration is calling this an "isolated incident". Dr. Ritchie has reported that the administration is unaware of any prior relationship between the assailant and the victim.

References:

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School Response

This is the email sent out by Superintendent John Ritchie to parents late Friday afternoon:

As you may have heard, we had a tragic incident this morning at Lincoln-Sudbury. We have posted a message on our website from school and town officials which I urge you to read. I must tell you that I was inspired and uplifted by the way our students, staff, and emergency responders from both towns dealt with this situation. I hope you understand that we did not, and could not, provide complete information at the time of the incident because we had to concern ourselves with the notification of the families involved..
I would like to invite any students or parents who would like to meet with me and staff members to come to the auditorium this evenng at 7 p.m. I would like to tell you what plans we are making for the upcoming days and weeks. In addition, staff and counselors will be available at the school Saturday, from 10-12, and Sunday, from 12-2. While we have not finalized plans for next week, we will certainly not be starting exams on Tuesday.
We are currently working on helping all students and staff on Monday, and I will keep you posted.
I will provide more information as it is available and I ask you to check the school's website.
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Friday Parent and Student Meeting

From 7pm to 8pm Friday night, Dr. Ritchie had a meeting with parents and students. The LS auditorium (downstairs portion) was about 80% full, with about 25% of the audience consisting of students.

There were handouts of the Parent Guidelines for Crisis Response from this site: [1]

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Sunday Email

Dr. Ritchie sent out a second email to parents on Sunday afternoon. The school is tentatively scheduling a meeting for the communities Thursday night. For more information, see the LSRHS Web site.

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Tip Line

The press has reported that the school is setting up a tip line. See: [2] However, Dr. Ritchie said at the Jan 25th parent meeting that he said no such thing (though he doesn't say it's a bad idea). He said he was open to the idea of student reporting, but was concerned about creating additional guilt students may feel about not reporting this event.

News articles:

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2nd Parent Meeting

The school hosted a second parent meeting on 25-January from 7:30 pm to shortly after 10. It was attended by about 600 to 1000 (reports vary) parents and students, and was televised on the local Sudbury and Lincoln community channels.

Ritchie said officials will establish a panel to look into the events surrounding the tragedy. The panel will include the School Committee, public safety officials, parents, community members and other outside groups, he said.

During the comment and question period, a number of questions and concerns were expressed by parents, students, and education professionals, including:

  • Concern about the screening policies for students admitted to the GO program in particular, and other programs in general
  • Concern about the safety of the school, and the administration' perceived lack of specificity on why the school is safe.
  • Concerns about LS's past tolerance for student threats to other students, and questions about LS's policies on weapons and the history of weapons confiscated at LS.
  • Parent questions about a permanent police presence at LS
  • Concerns (mostly from students and mostly about metal detectors) about a response to this tragedy that would change the culture and openness of the school
  • One parent suggested that LS needs a School Resource Officer (SRO), as many surrounding towns have. See: [3]

See:

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Review Group

At the 25-January parent meeting, Dr. Ritchie said that he's asked the school committee and selectmen to set up a group that's "representative and credible" to review this tragedy and make recommendations. The panel will include the School Committee, public safety officials, parents, community members and other outside groups, he said.

News reports:

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Community Response

Nancy Reimer and four other social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists who live in Lincoln held a community forum Monday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. For further information, call 781-259-0704 or 781-259-8977.

See:

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The Criminal Case

Odgren has been charged with first-degree murder and will be tried as an adult. In first- and second-degree murder cases in Massachusetts, anyone age 14 or older is automatically tried as an adult. If convicted, he will be imprisoned for a mandatory life sentence.

Odgred was indicted March 1st by a grand jury on charges of first degree murder. The District Attorney's office was reported as describing the attack as "planned" and "unprovoked".

Gerry Leone, the District Attorney for Middlesex County, has commented on the case. Describing a meeting shortly after the incident, he said that the gathering of parents and students, who met in a lecture hall, was somber. "There's no reason to believe, based on everything we know, that this isn't a safe school," he added.

“The timing of the stabbing strongly suggests that Mr. Odgren planned this premeditated murder,” said Daniel Bennett, a prosecutor.

Mr. Leone spoke at the 25-January parent meeting.

References:

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Request for Release of Warrant Information

The MetroWest Daily News (GateHouse Media, Inc) filed a motion that the four search warrants in the state's case against Odgren be unsealed. The motion was opposed by both the prosecutor (Daniel Bennett) and Odgren's lawyer. In the Odgren case, the district attorney's office asked the information be impounded, and two judges agreed on two different dates. On Feb 5, the judge rejected the motion.

Daniel Bennett said that the state's investigation could "center on computer information" and that disclosure of the specifics of the state's inquiries could give people reasons to destroy or alter evidence.

"We're attempting to gather evidence worldwide," he said.

After the hearing, Odgren's defense attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said that Odgren's computers and laptops have been seized by police. Shapiro joined the prosecution in arguing against the release of the search warrants. (Note that Odgren's Jan 9th blog entry makes reference to sitting down at his computer and "hammer[ing] out a piece of short fiction called "Chicago Noon").

Jack Cinquegrana, president of the Boston Bar Association and former state prosecutor, said it is extremely rare for a judge to make public search warrants prior to the state handing down an indictment. A grand jury is currently hearing evidence in this case. In most cases, information contained in the search warrant returns is open to the public and press (after the indictment?).

News reports:

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Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's syndrome is likely to play a role in the defense's case. The Autism Society of America said there have been 22 criminal cases in the US since 2002 where convictions were avoided (in part) because of an AS diagnosis. However, experts emphasize that AS does not predispose a person to violent behavior.

A number of parents and students have expressed concern about a backlash or stigma against students with AS from this tragedy.

News reports:

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