After teacher assault, Pittsburgh's Oliver Citywide Academy to implement new safety measures

Pittsburgh’s Oliver Citywide Academy will roll out enhanced safety measures after a student assaulted a teacher at the school in September.

The school will provide two-way radios for every classroom, introduce an additional security guard to the building, revise its enrollment process to review student documentation from previous settings, and designate separate entrances for staff, students and visitors, among other measures.

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced these plans on Saturday after officials conducted a safety and security analysis during the week of Oct. 3.

The special education school also extended remote education until Monday, Oct. 17. Students have been learning remotely since the Sept. 29 assault.

Students were initially scheduled to return to in-person instruction during the week of Monday, Oct. 10, but school officials delayed their return at the request of staff members, who said the community continues to grapple with “trauma and mental health needs,” according to PPS.

“We know that if our staff are not at their best, it becomes even more challenging for staff to help our children perform at their best,” Superintendent Wayne Walters said.

On Sept. 29, police arrested a 15-year-old student after an incident that sent a female teacher to the hospital. The student, who faces multiple felony charges, is being held in a regional juvenile facility.

Located in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, Oliver Citywide Academy serves students in grades 3-12. Upon their return, students can expect augmented counseling and other student support services, the school said.

The school will also provide an enhanced adult partnering system for staff, and therapeutic crisis intervention training for new staff members.