Teens who weren't students spent hours inside West Allegheny High School, police say

The North Fayette Police Department said it is investigating after two non-district students entered West Allegheny High School earlier this week. 

North Fayette Police Chief Donald Cokus said that a student at the high school walked into the building Monday morning with two friends who are not West Allegheny School District students. He said the two 18-year-olds remained inside for several periods before another student noticed them and notified a teacher. The teacher informed the school resource officer, who then called the police.

When officers arrived, they detained the two teen boys but later released them with charges pending. Cokus said they didn't cause any trouble while at the high school.

Now, as they try to figure out how this exactly happened, Cokus notes that school staff are always monitoring the entrances at the beginning of the school day, with roughly 1,200 students arriving within the span of 10 to 15 minutes. It's unclear how soon charges could be filed as the investigation continues. 

In a letter to parents and teachers, the communications coordinator for the school district said, in part, that the "situation was thoroughly investigated by the North Fayette Police Department and was not considered a threat." 

During a school board meeting on Wednesday night, a parent raised concerns over the incident and the district's response. 

"There were two kids that came into our kids' high school, and nothing was addressed with the parents on the day that it happened," said the parent during the public comment session. 

Superintendent Dr. Jerri Lynn Lippert addressed the situation during the meeting, citing the challenges of monitoring student entry during busy arrival times.

"Students don't do what I call TSA-type security, meaning that you come in and show your card. That would take a very long time," said Superintendent Lippert. 

Lippert said students are required to wear a hall pass when outside the classroom, but acknowledged that not all staff have been enforcing the policy. Since Monday's incident, the district has reiterated the importance of the protocol.

"That way, any student that's in the hallway who wouldn't have a lanyard, any adult that would see them while classes are going on would then stop a student and ask why they don't have a lanyard," said Lippert. 

The parent said their concern extends beyond security, noting they were not informed about the incident until media coverage began.

"When TV crews show up on the campus this evening, we receive an email that there was an issue and that you were aware of it," the parent said on Wednesday.