A report from the state Education Department and attorney general (located at the end of this story) found “systemic failures” at School 12, the city school that 14-year-old Trevyan Rowe attended at the time of his death.
Rowe was a student in special education who died after walking away from school on March 8, 2018. His body was found in the Genesee River on March 11, 2018.
On Tuesday, State Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a release about the findings of a civil investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“The facts and circumstances surrounding Trevyan’s time at School 12 reveal an astounding lack of support from his school,” Elia said in a statement. “The investigation uncovered that Trevyan was failed at every level, from mental health and special education services to procedures to keep students safe at school.”
The report notes that during his five years as a Rochester City School District student, Trevyan showed "increasingly problematic behaviors and suicidal ideations" and had previously wandered from school and made threats to harm himself.
James urged the Rochester City School District to implement recommendations outlined in the report.
“We all have a responsibility to protect our children and we must all work together to keep our children out of harm’s way,” James said in a statement.
Investigators focused on mental health services, special education, attendance policies and school safety considerations, including transportation. In each area, the release stated, investigators found “systemic failures and inadequacies.”
Among the findings:
- “This investigation has raised serious questions as to whether adequate responses were taken to refer and provide mental health services to address Trevyan’s mental health issues, specifically his suicidal ideation and depression. The investigation found that there were potentially inadequate and delayed services for mental health treatment.”
- “There were initial delays in providing Trevyan with special education services upon his transfer to RCSD from a school in Texas; an emotional disturbance classification does not appear to have been adequately considered and documented at his Committee on Special Education (“CSE”) meetings; and misunderstandings of disability classifications in a chaotic school climate exacerbated the inability of RCSD to provide assistance to Trevyan through the special education process.”
- The district “employed overly permissive procedures that allowed school staff to submit their attendance records days, weeks, and sometimes even months after the class in question, and to freely make changes to those records even after submission without meaningful oversight; RCSD had an inadequate and untimely system for parental notification of unexcused absences; and school administrators failed to play any active or meaningful role in ensuring that attendance was taken in a timely and accurate manner.”
- The district “employed insufficient procedures to ensure the safety of students during arrival and dismissal.”
Elia said: “We must all learn from this horrific tragedy and recognize the gravity of our responsibility as educators to keep students safe. Every administrator and teacher across New York should read this report and ensure that every recommendation is implemented at their schools. We have a collective responsibility to New York’s children to do no less.”
Daniel Lowengard, the city district's interim superintendent, issued this statement:
"The death of Trevyan Rowe continues to have a profound impact on all of us, and we will always keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers. We have received the State Attorney General’s report and will be reviewing it thoroughly. We have already implemented a number of improved measures to ensure our student attendance and supervision procedures meet the highest standards. We continue to monitor and enhance safety protocols. The safety and well-being of our students continue to be our top priority."
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said in a statement that the report shows “more could have been done to save” the teenager.
“A child of our city cried out for help and his calls went unanswered,” Warren said. “As early as 2013, four years before his tragic passing, it was identified that Trevyan needed mental health counseling to address his suicidal thoughts. However, according to the report, no in-school mental health counseling was provided.
"The failures of adults at almost every turn led to Trevyan’s death,” Warren said. “The joint report should serve as a clarion call to the school district that it must act expeditiously to ensure all of our children receive the support that they need — especially our most vulnerable special education students. The city is ready to assist the district and Commissioner Elia as it implements solutions to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. My heart remains with the memory of Trevyan and his loved ones as they continue to mourn his tragic passing.”
We will be updating this story as more details and reaction become available.
Joint Report on Trevyan Rowe Death by WXXI News on Scribd