Bulldog Strong
Recent incidents that involved local law enforcement, brought negative press and plenty of social media speculation at Zephyrhills High School have inspired the community to rally around the school in hopes to make it safer and stronger.
The first step toward that effort took place Sunday afternoon at ZHS as more than 30 people turned out to unite and pray for peace and stability at the school.
According to ZHS Principal Amanda McCoy, the goal of the event was to bring the community back together following a week of “misinformation and negativity on social media.”
“We need to bring everyone back together and make sure the support of our school and our kids is in a good spot,” McCoy said.
Event organizer Heather Harris said she wants to put a positive spotlight on ZHS.
“There is a lot of good here,” Harris said. “It is time for us to take this negative spotlight and turn it into something positive.”
To ensure McCoy’s goal, today’s prayer event was held, and Harris has helped organize a volunteer drive set for Thursday, Jan 30. The volunteer drive will be at the ZHS Commons Area at 6 p.m. with volunteer registration stations set up for potential volunteers to learn more about volunteering at ZHS.
“We need the positive role models for these kids and unfortunately, some don’t have those at home,” Harris said. “The fighting is that negativity coming out and that trauma. We can bring those volunteers in here with teachers and staff and get a more positive place for these kids.”
McCoy, who has been the top dog at ZHS for just six weeks, is a proud Zephyrhills resident and welcomes her community to rally around the school and support it instead of believing everything posted on social media.
McCoy said Thursday’s events where a staff member saw a situation as a threat put the school under an active threat protocol. While it was discovered that there were no weapons or ammunition involved, despite what was speculated on social media, McCoy said she would act the same exact way to keep the children in her care safe.
“It turned out not to be a threat and I’m OK with that,” McCoy said. “I would rather start on top and work backwards. I would do it again.”
There was another event earlier in the week where a student opened a gate to allow a person on campus who entered the school and assaulted and robbed a student in a restroom.
McCoy added the there was a lot of misinformation online, including that the person who came on campus was her son, a stepson, and an adopted son. It was also stated on social media that when the person was arrested, he was found in McCoy’s bathtub.
McCoy noted that she helped that student a few years ago when he was homeless, but they are not related, and he was found hiding in his own bathtub.
“This community deserves and needs the information about what happened here. Now, I want us to come together for the greater good,” McCoy said.