Boca Raton Principal Barbara Riemer Was Subject Of Questions Over 2019 Incident At School. New Questions Over Handling Of Parent’s Anti-Semitic Outburst, Posts, Sandy Hook Reference…
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
UPDATE 9:31 a.m. — Police are at the school and have apparently detained the subject. Read the latest here.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Whispering Pines Elementary School Principal Barbara Riemer, accused by parents of mishandling the ongoing security threat perceived at the school over a parent’s on-campus actions, anti-Semitic comments, and social media posts about the Sandy Hook massacre, is no stranger to controversy regarding security at the school.
BocaNewsNow.com reported in 2019 that in middle of a major police search for a suspicious man with binoculars seen near Whispering Pines Elementary, Riemer called the school’s police officer into a meeting — leaving the car line exposed during morning drop-off. As we first reported on January 22, 2019:
”…the school police officer assigned to Whispering Pines was NOT at the school during drop-off hours this morning — between 7:20 and 8 a.m. — forcing office staffers to self-patrol the main parking area which is traditionally monitored by police.”
Our reporting forced the Palm Beach County School District to confirm the story. We reported this, also on January 22, 2019: “The School District now says that while the officer was “on campus as early as 6:45,” the Principal was “meeting with the officer about the incident” during the time the campus was wide open and cars were coming and going this morning.”
The concern over Barbara Riemer’s handling of security situations is again front and center as a parent, banned from the Whispering Pines Elementary School campus, was apparently allowed on the campus last Friday. Despite being told he was on campus, Principal Riemer — according those familiar with the incident — refused to call police. The man, identified as Chirag Patel, was banned after parents say he spewed anti-Semitic statements at school staffers. Those statements were mirrored on his Facebook page which is full of anti-Semitic comments, conspiracy theories, and now references to the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. The Sandy Hook reference is leading parents to again call on Riemer — and the school district — to take action. Mr. Patel lives yards from the school.
”Are we going to have to wait for a crisis to look back and say the principal and the school district were both incompetent?” asked a parent to BocaNewsNow.com. “Why is no one doing anything?”
Another parent acknowledged that while the school police force may be limited with its authority to deal with someone making what may be perceived as offensive comments, but not necessarily threatening comments, the response has been unsettling.
”The principal’s communication has been bad. The school district’s communication has been horrible. You can’t wish a problem away. You need to deal with it. It seems like no one cares about our kids.”
BocaNewsNow.com requested a conversation with new Palm Beach County School District communications director Amy Johnson. She has refused our requests. It’s unclear if the new spokesperson appreciates the seriousness of the situation, or that her job description requires communication with the public and media. Johnson’s lack of response raises question about what the Palm Beach County School District is doing, if anything to resolve the situation and keep children safe.
Parents say they may initiate action to have Principal Riemer removed from her post. Principals at elementary schools in Palm Beach County tend to serve a few years and move on to other schools or administrative positions. Riemer has been principal of Whispering Pines for nearly a decade.
Time to move this person to a “different” position in Palm Beach as she appears to not be taking the safety concerns of parents into seriously. We’ve seen too many incidents where action should’ve been taken before things got way out of hand. What will it take for our school boards to really take our children’s safety into consideration in matters like they’re dealing with now? Does someone need to get shot or killed for Palm Beach to do something here??? I’m so tired of our officials doing nothing in something that could turn out badly!
As a retired school board employee who worked at school sites
My opinion, after 5 years an administration usually doesn’t bring anything new to the school
At this point, the school begins to run on its own. Also, placing an Assit Principal as principal at the same school doesn’t work. There is already a rapport between the AP and the faculty
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