After experiencing three accidental lockdown drills over the course of five months, many in the Latin community have questioned the reliability of the system and reflected on the burden of the emotional impact of the false alarms.
The first emergency lockdown occurred on Oct. 24, and the next on Jan. 9. In both situations, an email was sent out to students and families that confirmed someone “accidentally triggered” the alarm and no real threat existed. Following the two initial accidental activations, technicians set off another alarm on Feb. 23.
While the administration deemed each alarm unintentional, these repeated false alarms have heightened concerns about reliability, communication, and the emotional toll on the community, drawing increased attention to the way the system operates.
The first time the school accidentally activated the lockdown system on Oct. 24, the school had already entered a soft lockdown procedure due to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity around the Lincoln Park and Gold Coast neighborhoods.
Junior Maddie Guelich was in her English class when the alarms went off.
“Immediately, my first thought was, ‘This is definitely about ICE,’” she said. “I wasn’t really worried about my own safety, but I was worried about other classmates and overall worried about my school community.”
Specifically, members of the Latin-American Student Organization (LASO) felt personally affected by the accidental trigger.
“I remember having a conversation with other members of LASO, and we all agreed that the most difficult part of the lock-in was the reaction that other students had,” co-head of LASO and sophomore Savanna Lane said. “For example, so many people were more concerned about not being able to go to Starbucks when there was a way larger threat within our community with people feeling that ICE could've personally affected them or people around them.”
While the first unintentional alarm created concerns regarding ICE raids in our community, students were ultimately reassured. The second accidental lockdown evoked additional fears, however, as students were left unaware of what was actually happening.
“It was scary because no one knew if it was real or not. Although some people were able to not feel scared, others were crying … or panicking, and it was scary for me,” sophomore Alejandro Silva said. “By the third, it was almost like I was used to it, which is kinda weird.”
The third lockdown occurred during parent-teacher conferences, and many Latin families were in the building at the time of the event.
“Lockdown drills are always unsettling and difficult reminders of the dangerous possibilities in the world … [but] we have always felt confident in Latin’s handling of difficult tasks,” Latin parent Kimberly Burt said. “I can’t imagine anything the administration, faculty, and staff would rather not have to execute, but given the very real need, I think they do a great job.”
Faculty offered a similar perspective. “It's obviously really nerve-wracking. As a teacher, I go into protection mode,” Upper School English teacher Ann McGlinn said. “It's more triggering for some students than others. But when I came to understand that [the facilities staff] were trying to … fix an issue, I definitely felt for [them].”
Despite these emotional responses, the purpose of lockdown drills is to ensure student safety and preparedness. While they can provoke feelings of fear and anxiety, the system has been designed to protect students in case of emergency.
Director of Operations Chanel King has confirmed that the systems have been improved. “The lockdown drills that were triggered were all accidents for different reasons, but they have all been corrected at this point,” she said.
According to Latin’s Lockdown Crisis Plan, an Incident Commander first initiates the lockdown, alerting the community through the Public Address (PA) system. After that, all doors are locked, and emergency services—such as fire and police—are notified.
Faculty and staff are then instructed to secure classrooms by locking doors, covering windows, and keeping students calm and quiet. Teachers take note of absent or missing students, and staff do not open doors for anyone until the Incident Commander announces it is clear and safe to resume normal activity.
Simultaneously, the security department tells Operations staff members to listen on the radio for missing students while checking bathrooms and hallways to direct members of the community to a safe location.
To ensure teachers and staff are informed, Ms. King meets with each division at the beginning of the year to review safety protocols.
“The goal is always to make sure every adult and student feels confident about what to do in an emergency and that communication between teams is strong and immediate,” Ms. King said. “The information is also available on RomanNet, and we hold additional meetings as needed. Staff is encouraged to ask questions at any time, and we keep communication open throughout the year.”
Still, the emotional impact of these mistaken drills affects staff and students. The school is seeking to improve the program, and administrators make changes to reflect what is best for the community.
Ms. McGlinn recalled a conversation from many years ago in which similar concerns were discussed. “[The deans] and I had a conversation, [and we were] very concerned about our school's safety. There weren't any doors locked. The particular division director said, ‘I don't want to live in fear. … I don't want to have the school on lockdown like that. Because I don't want to live in that world,’” Ms. McGlinn said. “But we are living in this world, right? I actually feel the school does a really admirable job, particularly where we're located.”
These issues do not solely affect Chicago-area students, however.
According to CNN, there have already been at least 21 school shootings this year. Eight of the attacks were on college campuses, with the remaining 13 were at K-12 schools. Recent years have seen a drastic increase in the number of tragedies, with an especially large spike in the years 2021-24.
Unfortunately, these statistics are not a shock to high school students.
“School shootings are very regular in the United States, so it’s not a crazy scenario for it to be something in the back of our minds during these drills,” Maddie said. “I think that the danger of making these mistakes is that people start to not take it seriously. If there was an actual threat, I believe that students would take it less seriously [after the false alarms] because they made that mistake many different times.”
While students grapple with the seriousness of these drills, Latin’s approach to safety extends beyond emergency preparedness and into everyday oversight.
The process begins in the Upper School with Sami Aday, the receptionist.
“Since starting at the US desk in 2017, I've made a habit for myself by learning the students' names and remembering their faces throughout the first couple days of the school year,” he said. “We have a system that we use when people use their badges that keeps track of who's inside the building and who's out.”
While school is not in session, Adrian Castillo, Upper School Mail and Copy Center Supervisor, spends weekends testing alarms throughout the school to ensure they are loud enough and will ring.
Ms. King also notes the importance of testing regularly, with three fire drills and one lockdown drill tested each year.
“We identify risks in a few different ways … when we identify something that could be improved, we work with experts like the Chicago Police and Fire Departments, and sometimes third-party security firms, to develop solutions that align with best practices,” she said.
Experts have notably recognized Latin’s security protocols for their high-quality procedures. Guidepost Solutions, an external security firm, found that “[Latin’s] safety measures were thorough and among the strongest they’d seen in schools our size,” Ms. King said.
Latin’s safety procedures reflect broader school safety initiatives across the country.
These practices align with other school safety initiatives. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 96.2% of public schools in 2021 and 2022 had written plans for procedures during an active shooter incident. The same year, the schools had been asked if they had drilled their students during the current school year on a lockdown procedure, and 96% of public schools affirmed they had.
Even with strong security measures in place, administrators recognize that safety is an ongoing balance amid an evolving environment.
“I think we always put our students' safety first, but we also accept that we live in an unpredictable world and can only control what we can control,” said Upper School Director Nick Baer. “We will always prioritize providing our students with opportunities to explore this city and the greater world beyond it, acting out of caution, but not out of fear.”
