Incident at Denman Middle School

Dear Denman community, 

We are writing to inform you that at 12 p.m. today (March 15) at James Denman Middle School, there was an altercation between two eighth-grade students, where a weapon was found but not used or displayed in a threatening manner. Students and staff are safe, and no one has been injured. 

The weapon was confiscated, and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) was called. Police arrived at approximately 12:10 p.m., and out of an abundance of caution, a lockdown was called at 12:20 p.m. The lockdown was lifted at 1:02 p.m., and the school day has resumed as scheduled. Student lockers were searched.

In a lockdown, classroom doors are locked, the lights are turned off, and students and staff are silent and move away from sight.

The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. While it is upsetting to learn a weapon of any sort could be on campus, we want to reassure families that this incident was addressed immediately, and no students were harmed. 

Occurrences of weapons on campus are rare. We have several security measures in place at schools. Most importantly, the very best school security measures are when a school creates an environment where all adults are alert to potential threats and students feel safe reporting concerns to adults.

As you know, bringing a weapon to school results in serious consequences. More information about our school’s policies can be found in the SFUSD Student and Family Handbook. 

In community,
Principal Lisa Jovick