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Mid-Atlantic Boarding Schools Call for Meaningful Change to End Gun Violence

By Head of Schools for MAPL and SMABS, 03/05/18, 3:30PM EST

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Like so many following the events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the heads of the six schools comprising the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and Six Mid-Atlantic Boarding Schools (SMABS) believe we must do more as a country to protect students from gun violence. Those of us who work and live at schools feel the weight of this latest tragedy and cannot, and will not, be silent.

It is tragic and outrageous that children in Parkland, Sandy Hook, Blacksburg, Columbine and countless other towns and cities across our nation have lost their lives. This pattern of gun-related violence must stop.


We honor students in Florida who have created a national movement to ensure safety in our schools. We join them in calling for meaningful change, through the passage of new legislation and the implementation of new regulations. Ensuring student safety is our paramount obligation, and it transcends politics.

Our students–all students–must have the freedom to pursue their education feeling safe amid communities that care deeply for their well-being. Our teachersall teacherschose a profession that allows them to inspire young people to learn about the world around them and to make a positive impact on that world. Our schools must be places where teachers can focus on this mission.

It is our duty as school leaders to implore our legislators to engage immediately in meaningful dialogue and take urgent, tangible steps to keep our schools safe. This is, indeed, a shared responsibility. We look forward to taking an active part in this ongoing and incredibly imperative discussion.

Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) Heads of School
Christopher M. Fortunato, Blair Academy
Zachary G. Lehman, The Hill School
Jonathan Brougham, Hun School of Princeton
Stephen S. Murray,
The Lawrenceville School
Katherine M. Titus, Mercersburg Academy
Peter A. Quinn, Peddie School

Six Mid-Atlantic Boarding Schools (SMABS) Heads of School
Christopher M. Fortunato, Blair Academy
Zachary G. Lehman, The Hill School
Stephen S. Murray, The Lawrenceville School
Katherine M. Titus, Mercersburg Academy
Peter A. Quinn, Peddie School
Daniel T. Roach Jr., St. Andrews School