Keeping pupils in, or trespassers out

Re “Freedom should prevail over fear and fences,” column, Nov. 17

I am in my 10th year of teaching at Venice High School, and I am vehemently against putting a fence up around our school. I agree with Sandy Banks about the aesthetic and feel of our open campus, but the bigger issue is one that the news has ignored.

In both cases, the shootings happened a couple of minutes before dismissal and inside a parking area. These gates are locked throughout the day but are unlocked right before dismissal so the faculty and staff can leave campus in their vehicles.

A fence around the school would not have prevented either incident.

Scott Burstein

Los Angeles

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I have been a teacher at Venice High School for seven years, and like other community and staff members, I grew to believe that building a fence would make the school feel more like a prison than a place of learning. However, after reading Banks’ column, my opinion has changed. She states that she was allowed to spend “45 minutes wandering the campus unnoticed.” After inquiring around school, I learned that Banks did not stop by the main office to check in and receive a pass, which is required of all visitors.

The fact that Banks was able to roam around campus without being apprehended is frightening. She writes that the vast campus is a security headache, and I think she proved that well. Instead of thinking of a wall as keeping “prisoners” inside, we may want to ponder whether or not it is really for keeping trespassers out.

Julie Markussen

Los Angeles