By Lindsey Nair

Archives Reprint

    Two of Roanoke's most outspoken school safety advocates on Thursday launched a new coalition that they hope will affect official decisions about school security in the valley.

    "I'm not someone who likes to stand on the sidelines. This is a way that we can do more," said Butch Lewis, a school resource officer at Patrick Henry High School who founded the coalition with parent Alice Hincker.

    The Roanoke School Violence Protection Coalition, or RSVP Coalition, was so-named because Hincker and Lewis hope for a response to their concerns.

    Some parents, teachers and other citizens have been angered by the school system's apparent lack of response to school safety concerns following the underreporting of school crime incidents, Lewis' reassignment after speaking his mind and one teacher's suicide in the aftermath of an assault accusation.

    The RSVP Coalition was announced at a press conference, which was attended by a handful of parents and students as well as several public figures, including Delegate-elect William Fralin, Roanoke Mayor Ralph Smith, Roanoke County Supervisor Joe "Butch" Church and Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce chairman Bart Wilner.

    Wilner said the coalition is a good idea because school safety affects more than the education community. He used the Richmond school system as an example of how a system's reputation can turn people away.

    "The first thing they want to ask a Realtor is 'What about the schools?'" he said. "We can see it [Roanoke] deteriorating year after year after year and if we don't do something about it here in the valley, it's going to hurt us from an economic development standpoint."

    A school safety task force made up of city leaders will not be undermined by the coalition, Hincker and Lewis promised, but there are several differences between the groups.

    First, the coalition will be permanent while the task force is supposed to complete its work in a few months. Also, any interested party can join the coalition, unlike the task force members, who were appointed.

    Hincker admitted that one reason the coalition was formed was because neither she nor Lewis were selected to be on the task force.

    "No one is being hand-picked to be on the coalition," Lewis said. "We want to get members of the community who can bring something to the table."

    He and Hincker want to focus on the school resource officers' roles in the schools, the management of the school system and police department, and violence prevention and crisis preparedness measures. They hope that by being a watchdog group, the coalition will influence local, state and federal decisions that affect school safety.

    "We're not going to be confrontational," Lewis said. "Our primary goal is to have safe schools. As far as I am concerned, nothing negative is going to come of this."

    Their first goal is to raise enough money to bring school safety experts Ken Trump and Curt Lavarello to the area. A coalition Web site and e-mail address will serve as a place for parents, teachers and other citizens to stay informed or share information.

    Former Patrick Henry principal Betty Lee sat in on the press conference, as did former Roanoke teacher Matthew Reames, former executive director of the Virginia Education Association Gary Waldo and Mel Mayfield, whose cousin, Ron Mayfield, took his life after he was falsely accused of assault.

    Waldo said the school system needs to stop denying problems and start facing them.

    "I don't think any institution is perfect in any way," he said. "I think what this coalition is trying to do is to get a consistent, open and progressive approach. I hope that the citizens support this effort."

    The coalition's first meeting will be November 18 at 7 p.m. at the Roanoke Valley Governor's School lecture hall.

    For more information,

   e-mail RSVPC@aol.com.

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