BAYTOWN, Texas – Parents and students from Ross S. Sterling High School are voicing frustration over how the campus handled a stabbing in a classroom that left 16-year-old Andrew Meismer dead.
The incident happened on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 17. The Baytown Police Department responded to the school following a report of a confrontation that had escalated to a stabbing.
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Andrew was stabbed with a pair of scissors.
OUR FIRST REPORT: Student dies after being stabbed with scissors in classroom at high school in Baytown
As authorities addressed the situation, the school was placed on a temporary hold, but students were later ordered to return to their classrooms.
Serenity Wynn, a Sterling High School student who knew Meismer, said the lack of communication from the school after the traumatic incident left many students frightened.
“It was really scary for a lot of us,” Wynn said. “... They didn’t tell us anything, and then we were all confused and scared about what was going on.”
Meismer was transported to a Houston hospital by Life Flight. Officials later announced that he had died shortly after 3:30 p.m., around five hours after the stabbing occurred.
Tabatha Spacek, the parent of a Sterling High School student, said she learned that students were instructed to continue their day as normal, even as they walked by the classroom where the stabbing occurred.
“There were students passing the classroom where it happened, and they were like, ‘Just don’t look,’ and then go on to your class and take your test,” Spacek said.
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As a parent, Spacek said her concerns have grown following the incident and the faculty’s handling of the situation.
“I don’t want to send my kid to school and then she gets killed by gun violence or whatever, but now I have to be worried about scissors,” Spacek said. “The school is not controlling the situation before it gets this bad.”
Spacek added that Sterling families have struggled to get answers from school administrators.
“There’s no compassion,” Spacek said. “Like, someone died. A child died in your school, and you don’t care.”
Classes and final exams resumed Thursday, which Spacek said she thought was inappropriate given the traumatic circumstances.
“Give the kids some time to breathe,” she said. “The expectation that they come to school and finish their finals today is crazy.”
Students gathered outside the school Thursday morning to support their fallen classmate. Wynn said there were students chanting “Justice for Andrew,” while classmates watched from behind campus gates.
She said she briefly spoke with Meismer’s mother, describing the moment as emotional.
“There was a lot of crying,” Wynn said. “I just wish the best for her, and I hope she’s okay.”
The incident involved Meismer and another student, who was arrested after allegedly stabbing him.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, KPRC 2 learned that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office had accepted a murder charge against Aundre Matthews, 18.
Both Wynn and Spacek said they want changes to school discipline policies, particularly when it comes to violent behavior.
“Get any violent students out of here,” Spacek said. “This kid would be alive right now if they would have not let him.”
Goose Creek CISD said counseling services are being offered to students and staff beginning Thursday to help the community cope with the loss.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, Goose Creek CISD superintendent Dr. Randal O’Brien released the following letter to parents and staff:
“My heart is heavy as I join the community in grieving yesterday’s tragedy at Sterling High School. We are mourning the loss of a student, and our deepest condolences are with the student’s family, friends, and all Sterling Rangers. There are no words that can fully meet a moment like this, but please know that the District and community stand with you.
We want to thank the faculty members closest to the event who acted swiftly and provided immediate care until professional medical assistance arrived.
We understand you have many questions. We do too. We are committed to being as transparent as possible, but this is an active police investigation, and it is now in the hands of law enforcement. That process will guide what information can be shared and when. As we are able, we will continue to communicate updates in a timely and responsible manner that is consistent with our obligations under federal student privacy law.
After careful consideration, the administration decided that the best way to serve our students and faculty in the wake of this tragedy would be to come together as a campus community to provide in-person support. To that end, we reopened Sterling on Thursday morning with a full crisis response team in place and ready to serve our students and staff as they process yesterday’s events.
It has also come to my attention that an image purporting to be a student’s disciplinary history has been publicly circulated. While the District is prohibited from discussing students’ disciplinary histories in the public sphere, I urge exercising discretion when relying on information circulated on social media, regardless of its source.
That said, please know that Goose Creek CISD takes student behavior very seriously and works diligently to address concerns as they arise. At the same time, our responses to student misconduct are guided and, at times, limited by state and federal law. These laws exist to protect students and families, even when outcomes are difficult to understand in the aftermath of tragedy.
As we close out the semester, our focus is on supporting students, staff, and families. Counselors and additional support personnel are available at Sterling and throughout the District, and we will continue to provide resources on campus and across the District as needed.
Parents: While we believe this to be an isolated incident between two students, I encourage you to check in on your child, listen closely, and reach out if you see signs that they are struggling. We want to help.
To the Sterling family and community: you are not alone. We will lift one another up in the days ahead, and we will honor this student’s life by wrapping our arms around those who are hurting and continuing our daily mission of providing a safe space for our students to learn and grow.
Thank you for your compassion, your patience, and your care for our students and staff."