‘Shame on you’: Falmouth parents demand answers from district in wake of school shooting threat

Dozens of parents waited for hours outside Falmouth Public School’s Administration building, looking for answers hours after a teenager’s court appearance on Tuesday.

Ian Fotheringham, 18, faced a judge accused of threatening to carry out a school shooting. He is expected to post $2,500 bail on conditions put forward by the judge.

Hours later, parents demanded answers outside a school committee meeting.

The Falmouth School Committee told Boston 25 Tuesday night that this was a scheduled goals workshop meeting with an executive session afterwards.

They said there was no public portion.

Meanwhile, parents yelled, pleading for answers outside the windows. Many of them were at Fotheringham’s hearing Tuesday morning.

One parent told Boston 25, “We’re demanding answers.”

“There are parents in this country who have lost their children to gun violence,” parent Amanda McGonigle yelled. “They would’ve loved the notice we have been afforded!”

Those parents said last week, Fortheringham was allegedly spotted surveying the area around Teaticket Elementary School by a teacher.

Police said he was found acting suspiciously around a town school last week. Afterwards, images of the Columbine school shooting were found on his phone.

Committee members were confronted by parents outside their headquarters around 9 pm Tuesday night and had no comment. They drove away through dozens of parents.

“Shame on you,” yelled parents as they walked out Tuesday night.

McGonigle added, “The administration has dropped the ball. To this point, they failed to inform staff and families about these threats for an extended period of time.”

Falmouth Public Schools superintendent, Lori s. Duerr, said in part in a letter to parents and staff, “At least for the next two weeks, the Falmouth Police Department will provide detail officers at each of our elementary schools. And, our SROs will remain on site.”

Many parents in Falmouth Tuesday said they are hesitant to bring their children to school Wednesday.

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