OP-ED | THE QUESTIONS GOVERNOR MIFFLIN PARENTS DESERVE ANSWERED

Two incidents. Two versions. One community asking: Who is really investigating—and what safeguards ensure an independent, transparent process?

Two Incidents. Two Versions. One Community Asking: Who Is Really Investigating? By The Mifflin Report Governor Mifflin parents were told to trust the system. We were told that our children were safe. We were told that law enforcement responded appropriately. And we were told that the latest incident was handled because of the district's “strong partnership” with local law enforcement. But after two unsettling incidents in just four days, parents have every right to ask a much more uncomfortable question: Who is investigating what happened—and who is investigating the investigators? Because the story has changed. And when the story changes, the public deserves answers. AUGUST 28: THE FOOTBALL GAME On Friday, August 28, the Governor Mifflin–Wilson football game was abruptly terminated after a report that a student had a handgun. The district's subsequent account says a fight was occurring behind the scoreboard when students began running and yelling that another student had a gun. According to the district's August 30 statement, police located the student who was reportedly carrying the weapon, searched him and found nothing. Police then searched the stadium and found no weapon. Then came another extraordinary detail: The person who originally claimed to have seen the weapon later denied seeing a weapon. ( Governor Mifflin School District ) The district therefore concluded that no weapon was found and no shots were fired. Fine. But that doesn't mean parents' concerns magically disappear. A false report is still an event worth understanding. Who made the original report? What exactly did that person say? What did witnesses actually see? How quickly was the report communicated? Were surveillance cameras reviewed? Were cellphone videos collected? Were all relevant witnesses interviewed? And perhaps most importantly: Was the original report intentionally false, mistaken, or based on something the witness genuinely believed he saw? Those are legitimate questions. THEN CAME SEPTEMBER 1 Only four days later, another incident occurred—this time on school property during morning drop-off. The district says two minors who were not Governor Mifflin students were spotted near the transportation building at the Intermediate School. A School Police Officer and Cumru Township police stopped them. They were searched. And this time, something actually was found. According to the district: An airsoft gun and several kitchen knives. The two minors were taken into custody. ( Governor Mifflin School District ) This isn't a rumor. This isn't somebody supposedly seeing something from the other side of a football stadium. The district itself says the items were found. NBC10 independently reported the same basic facts. ( NBC Philadelphia ) And reports citing Cumru police say the juveniles were from another school district and were taken into custody. ( News Radio 1340 WRAW ) So now Governor Mifflin has had two separate security incidents in four days. One involved an unverified report of a handgun. The other involved actual weapons being recovered from minors on school grounds. Parents are not unreasonable for wanting answers. AND NOW THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS COMING TO TOWN The district has announced a Community Partnership Meeting for Thursday, September 3, at 7:30 p.m. at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School. The district says Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams , Cumru Township Police Chief Madison Winchester and Director of Safe Schools Jeff Reichart will discuss the August 28 and September 1 incidents and take questions from the community. And that brings us to perhaps the most important issue of all. Why is the Berks County District Attorney involved—and exactly what is his role? That is not an accusation. It is a reasonable public question. The Berks County website identifies John T. Adams as the county's District Attorney and describes the DA as the county's chief law-enforcement officer. His office includes attorneys, detectives and other personnel and works with local law enforcement agencies throughout Berks County. ( Berks County ) If his office is merely participating in a community briefing, tell the public that. If his office is reviewing the September 1 incident, tell the public that. If his office is advising Cumru police, tell the public that. If his office is conducting or supervising an investigation, tell the public that. And if his office is not investigating anything, then why is the District Attorney being presented as one of the principal officials addressing these incidents? Those distinctions matter. AND THEN THERE IS THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT QUESTION There is another issue that deserves transparency—not insinuation. The Governor Mifflin School District's own website lists Elizabeth “Betsy” Adams as a sitting school board director and treasurer. It says she has served on the board since 2014. ( Governor Mifflin School District ) The Berks County District Attorney's official biography states that John T. Adams resides in Cumru Township with his wife, Betsy, and that they have four daughters. ( Berks County ) That creates an obvious question for the public: Is the Elizabeth Adams who sits on the Governor Mifflin School Board the same Betsy Adams identified in the District Attorney's official biography as his wife? The official sources strongly indicate that they are, but that relationship should be explicitly acknowledged by officials rather than left for citizens to piece together. And there is another issue that should be addressed factually. The DA's official biography says his sister-in-law, Faith Adams, is a retired Governor Mifflin school teacher. ( Berks County ) That's documented. What is not established by the sources I reviewed is the broader claim that other members of the Adams family are currently Governor Mifflin teachers. So let's not speculate. Let's ask for transparency. Are any immediate family members of the District Attorney currently employed by Governor Mifflin School District? If so, who? If not, say so. That's how you eliminate suspicion. THIS ISN'T ABOUT ACCUSING ANYONE OF A CRIME Let's be very clear. Being married to a school board member does not , by itself, establish corruption, misconduct or a legal conflict of interest. Having relatives who work or previously worked for a school district does not establish wrongdoing either. And participation in a community meeting does not mean the DA is improperly investigating anything. But here's the problem: Public officials don't get to demand public trust while refusing to explain relationships that could reasonably affect public perception. The issue is not necessarily an actual conflict. The issue is the appearance of a conflict and whether appropriate safeguards exist. If the District Attorney's office has no investigative role in these incidents, say it. If it does, explain why. If John Adams is recused from any investigative or prosecutorial decision involving Governor Mifflin, say who has authority instead. If he is not recused, explain why his office believes there is no conflict. That's accountability. AND WHAT ABOUT THE “NO CRIME” ARGUMENT? Here's where the public conversation needs some precision. The August 28 football-game incident, according to the district's account, resulted in no weapon being found and no shots being fired . ( Governor Mifflin School District ) That is very different from saying that nothing happened . A massive emergency response happened. A football game was stopped. Students and spectators were evacuated. Parents were frightened. Police conducted a search. A witness report triggered the response. And afterward, the district had to investigate what happened. That's an incident. Whether it ultimately constitutes a criminal offense is a separate question. The September 1 incident is different again because authorities reportedly recovered an airsoft gun and knives and took two minors into custody. ( Governor Mifflin School District ) So when officials say “this is a police matter,” parents should reasonably ask: What does that mean? WHAT WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT IS A SCRIPTED VERSION OF EVENTS The district's communications repeatedly emphasize that everything worked. On August 28, officials praised law enforcement and district personnel for their response. On September 1, Superintendent Lisa Hess again praised staff, School Police and Cumru Township officers, saying their vigilance and swift action allowed the potential threat to be removed without incident. ( Governor Mifflin School District ) Nobody is arguing against thanking police officers. They deserve credit when they do their jobs well. But “the system worked” cannot become a substitute for examining whether the system could work better. Parents deserve to know: What happened? Who reported it? Who was interviewed? What evidence was reviewed? What cameras were examined? What policies were followed? Were those policies followed correctly? What did police determine? What did the DA's office determine? Were any laws violated? Were any charges filed? If not, why not? If charges were filed, what are they? And what changes are being made to prevent another incident? THE SEPTEMBER 3 MEETING BETTER NOT BE A PRESS CONFERENCE This is where the Governor Mifflin community needs to pay attention. A room full of officials standing behind microphones and telling parents that everything is fine is not transparency. Transparency is answering uncomfortable questions. Parents shouldn't be lectured about remaining calm. They shouldn't be told that asking questions creates rumors. They shouldn't be treated as the problem because they want details. And The Mifflin Report certainly isn't going to apologize for asking questions. Because when you have two security incidents involving weapons-related concerns within four days, asking questions isn't creating fear. It's responsible citizenship. ONE FINAL QUESTION FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN ADAMS Mr. Adams, you are the elected District Attorney of Berks County. Your own office describes you as the county's chief law-enforcement officer. ( Berks County ) You are now scheduled to address Governor Mifflin parents about two highly sensitive incidents. So here's the question: Are you there as a community partner—or are you there because your office has an investigative or prosecutorial role? If there is an investigation, tell us what you can legally tell us. If there isn't one, tell us that too. And if your office has any potential conflict because of your family relationship with a Governor Mifflin school board member, tell the community what safeguards are being used to guarantee an independent process. That shouldn't offend anyone. It should reassure everyone. GOVERNOR MIFFLIN PARENTS DESERVE MORE THAN REASSURANCE. They deserve facts. They deserve documentation. They deserve accountability. And they deserve to know that when something happens on or around their children's schools, the investigation is driven by evidence—not relationships, politics, public relations or institutional convenience. The Mifflin Report will be watching the September 3 meeting. And we will be listening carefully—not just to what officials say, but to what questions they answer, what questions they avoid, and what evidence they are willing to put on the record. Because “trust us” isn't transparency. Show us. — The Mifflin Report Source links Governor Mifflin School District — August 28 statement Governor Mifflin School District — September 1 statement NBC10 Philadelphia — September 1 incident report News Radio 1340 WRAW — weapons incident report Berks County — District Attorney’s Office Governor Mifflin School District — board members Berks County — John T. Adams biography WFMZ — Reading High increases football-game security WFMZ — Two minors arrested with airsoft gun and knives Reading Eagle — Police seize airsoft gun and knives