Parents are calling for the ouster of the of P.S. 398 in Queens, who did not inform them on the day that a student brought a kitchen knife to school and told other kids he intended to use it at lunchtime to attack a fellow second-grader he may have considered a romantic rival.

The principal, Erica Ure帽a-Thus, waited three days before notifying the school community about 鈥渁n incident of a sharp kitchen object鈥� 鈥� while telling them that 鈥渘othing untoward was found.鈥� She then took an additional two days to speak with the school鈥檚 parents about it, according to multiple sources who spoke with THE CITY.

At least two other students saw the second grader with the knife during the school day on Nov. 1, and a staff member confiscated it from him after one of those students told an adult what they had seen. The staff member in turn referred the matter to Ure帽a-Thus.

Two days later, the boy who鈥檇 brought it 鈥� and who鈥檇 remained at the school 鈥� physically threatened one of the classmates who鈥檇 seen him with the weapon, according to that child鈥檚 mother..

The day after that, a Saturday, Ure帽a-Thus finally notified the school community, including the parents of the affected children, with a message posted on P.S. 398鈥檚 internal communications board, which was reviewed by THE CITY.

(THE CITY is withholding the names of the students, who are all second graders, to respect their privacy. THE CITY was not able to contact the parents of the boy who allegedly brought the knife and made the threats, because he has not been named by the school.)

Two mothers 鈥� Sarah Wu, who believes her son was the intended target of the boy who brought the knife, and Mary, whose daughter saw the boy with the knife 鈥� said that public message was the first time they had heard directly from school administration about the incident at all. (Mary spoke on the condition that THE CITY would withhold her last name.)

鈥淚 am trying to be strong for my kids, and also for all the parents鈥� kids who stood up and saved my son鈥檚 life,鈥� said Wu, who told THE CITY she only learned about the knife when a parent approached her during pick-up on Friday. 鈥淭his is not what a little minor should go through in the public school system.鈥�

She added that her son still does not know about the other boy鈥檚 plan to attack him with a knife.

Two sources said that Ure帽a-Thus 鈥� who did not not return THE CITY鈥檚 requests for comment about the incident that became the main topic of discussion at a meeting of the District 30 Community Education Monday night 鈥� told teachers not to discuss the incident at all, citing student privacy protocols.

鈥淢y daughter is not OK,鈥� Mary, speaking in her native Spanish, told THE CITY. She added that the boy with the weapon told her daughter that he had intended to harm Wu鈥檚 son because he saw him as a rival for another student鈥檚 affection.

She continued: 鈥淪ince this all happened, she doesn鈥檛 smile, all she wants to do is sleep, she won鈥檛 even eat her favorite meals, she鈥檚 afraid of leaving the house.鈥�

The school community was not formally notified of the subsequent threat made by the boy who brought the knife. Mary received a letter on Nov. 10, the following Friday, from Ure帽a-Thus informing her that the school鈥檚 internal investigation had substantiated that the boy had indeed threatened her daughter.

In a Nov. 8 email chain in which the principal, district administrators and a DOE attorney discussed how to respond to parents, District 30 Deputy Superintendent William Fahey asked:

鈥淚 am wondering why we are using 鈥榥othing untoward found鈥� (meaning nothing unexpected or unusual) when a knife or toy gun was found. Parents right now are e-mailing about 鈥榥othing untoward鈥� being found— stating a knife was found.鈥�

THE CITY obtained those emails hours after this article was first published. Later in the chain, DOE Senior Field Counsel Sarah Marx advises against giving parents more 鈥渄etail/context,鈥� since 鈥淧eople will believe what they want to believe.鈥�

She went on, 鈥淚 am concerned about liability and further inflaming people with giving out more information.”

The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, the principal鈥檚 union, did not respond to THE CITY鈥檚 questions.

Department of Education spokesperson Chyann Tull told THE CITY that 鈥淥ur district superintendent assigned staff to support onsite at the school daily, reviewing protocols, and looks forward to next step interventions that best serve everyone,鈥� while 鈥渢he borough safety director is also onsite reviewing safety systems and structures, performing an analysis of the school鈥檚 safety plan.鈥�

She added that 鈥淗igh-quality care and education for our students is at the center of our efforts, and we will continue to support collaboration between schools and families as we forge a path forward.鈥�

In an email to parents on Nov. 10, the same day that Ure帽a-Thus substantiated the boy鈥檚 threat, Community School District 30 superintendent Lisa Hidalgo referred to the knife as a 鈥渨eapon,鈥� reporting that “it was confiscated and nothing else was found. 鈥�

Without saying any further about the boy involved in that “incident,” she acknowledged 鈥渁 lack of timely communication to families from the school鈥� that she said 鈥渞esulted in speculation that led to fear and misinformation circulating within the school community.鈥�

鈥楬uge, Huge Red Flag鈥�

As , teachers sounded the alarm earlier this year about an allegedly 鈥渉ostile鈥� and unhealthy environment at P.S. 398, which they say affects students of the school, noting then a 鈥渄ownward trend of disorganization and lack of communication.鈥� The DOE said at the time that it 鈥渢akes all allegations seriously, and are conducting a thorough review鈥� of accusations teachers have leveled against the Ure帽a-Thus since June.

More than a thousand parents and supporters have 鈥� which dates back to October 鈥� demanding that Ure帽a-Thus be removed.

Now, some parents are furious about what they deemed to be Ure帽a-Thus鈥� failure to immediately inform them of the student鈥檚 potentially violent actions 鈥� and about the Education Department鈥檚 disinterest in reacting to that failure with appropriate haste.

鈥淚t was covered up, no one knew,鈥� said Merry, the aunt of the boy who was allegedly targeted.

PTA president Victoria Medelius said she was upset with Ure帽a-Thus鈥� late and limited communication, and was concerned that the principal had failed to follow proper safety protocols.

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 trauma for some of the children, and there鈥檚 a lot of trauma from parents,鈥� said Medelius, because Ure帽a-Thus 鈥渘ever really told us the full story.鈥�

In her Saturday notice to parents three days after the boy brought the knife 鈥� which Ure帽a-Thus told Wu in a meeting another two days later was 鈥渇or cutting meat鈥� 鈥� she wrote that the school safety team and the school safety agent had 鈥渃onducted their investigation鈥� into the boy with the knife.

But that doesn鈥檛 track with how others in the school community described the events to THE CITY.

Wu said Ure帽a-Thus had told her that school safety had not been involved on the day he brought the knife to school because they had found no cause for concern, according to a Nov. 6 email to the principal from Wu recapping a meeting that day and reviewed by THE CITY.

Medelius recalled that the school safety agent had been unaware of the knife incident until a parent informed her of the event on Nov. 3.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a huge, huge red flag,鈥� Medelius told THE CITY. 鈥淎 lot of parents are using the term gaslighting because it鈥檚 just what it feels like.鈥�

Mary, for example, said she learned of the knife incident not from the school but from her daughter at pick up, who told her mom she鈥檇 had a bad day.

In art class, her daughter explained, a classmate opened his lunchbox and showed her his knife, telling her he intended to use it to hurt another boy during the lunch period. She told her mother that she scolded the boy and said she would tell on him, according to Mary鈥檚 recollection of her conversation with her daughter.

After she pressed for details, Mary鈥檚 daughter told her the student brought a sharp knife that looked like a household kitchen knife 鈥渢hat I鈥檓 not allowed to use.鈥� A colored drawing the girl made for school administrators who interviewed her that day, which was obtained by THE CITY, portrays what appears to be a sharp knife with a wooden handle.

But it was another student, who saw the knife during lunch later in the day, who ultimately alerted a school aide, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The aide then brought the knife to Ure帽a-Thus, who subsequently returned it to the student鈥檚 parent, 鈥渨ho denied packing it,鈥� according to the Nov. 6 email to the principal from Wu.

鈥淚 think my son could have died, because if the parent never told me鈥� I won鈥檛 tell him to be careful, to be aware of your surroundings,鈥� said Wu, whose son is the intended target according to the accounts of other kids. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 living in a world that I don鈥檛 believe in anymore.鈥�

鈥楾he Safety and Well Being of All Children鈥�

In an email addressed to Wu on Nov. 10 after the parent wrote to the school to express her concerns about her son鈥檚 safety, assistant principal Mondal Trisha said the administration has 鈥渃onducted our investigation鈥� on the knife incident, without saying what result that investigation had reached.

鈥淲e have developed a plan of action to support the student who has made the threat,鈥� Trisha wrote, adding that if Wu鈥檚 son 鈥渋s feeling unsafe, we can take measures to ensure he is comfortable in his learning environment.鈥�

The school鈥檚 investigation into the subsequent threats also substantiated Mary鈥檚 daughter’s claims, Ure帽a-Thus acknowledged in a separate Nov. 10 letter addressed to Mary. The school also found that the student鈥檚 threat constituted a violation of DOE rules against 鈥渟tudent-to-student discrimination, harassment, intimidation and/or bullying,鈥� but did not constitute 鈥渟tudent-to-student harassment.鈥�

鈥淎ppropriate disciplinary and restorative measures have been taken to ensure the safety and well being of all children in our school community,鈥� Ure帽a-Thus wrote.

Mary received that letter through a teacher at the school, she said, not directly from the principal, noting that the letter did not say what specific measures the school was taking, and did not offer resources or support for her daughter.

鈥淣o one [at the school] has told me what my daughter鈥檚 rights are or offered mental health resources,鈥� Mary said, noting that her daughter has suffered night terrors since the incident and even required a trip to the emergency room to treat her anxiety.

鈥淎s parents, this has been very difficult for us. We just want answers.鈥�

The United Federation of Teachers, the union representing teachers and other school staff, also criticized the school administration鈥檚 response.

“Staff members were gravely concerned that the P.S. 398 administration did not properly address a safety incident nor provide staff or parents with timely information,鈥� union spokesperson Alison Gendar said in a statement. 鈥淚t is DOE’s responsibility to provide a safe school environment for students and staff.”

Since the incidents, Wu said she鈥檚 been struggling to explain to her son how he had been put in harm鈥檚 way. The mother added that she鈥檚 鈥渟till trying to prepare myself to have that conversation with him when it comes to it.鈥�

鈥淚 feel so hopeless. I think I鈥檓 just nobody,鈥� said Wu, who is calling for Ure帽a-Thus to resign. 鈥淭his says a lot about our city, our system 鈥� I don鈥檛 know why nobody鈥檚 listening.鈥�

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