Police to keep media out of Dist. 203 schools
In a terse e-mail blast to area media outlets Monday afternoon, Naperville Unit District 203 officials threatened to have police arrest any reporters found Tuesday on district grounds.
Spokeswoman Melea Smith said the district wants to ensure students experience a sense of normalcy when returning to classes after the death Thursday of a Naperville North High School freshman.
A weekend autopsy ruled a serious and undiagnosed heart defect was a major factor in the death of Michelle Fahle, who also had contracted the H1N1 flu virus.
"Please understand that it is important for students at Naperville North High School, and other District 203 schools, to be able to resume a normal educational week. To that end, we are asking your cooperation in not interfering with that process. You need to be aware that uniformed police officers and marked squads will be on the NNHS campus on Tuesday morning," Smith wrote. "If media personnel do not honor this request to avoid District 203 properties, a criminal complaint will be filed with the Naperville Police Department."
Smith said school officials had to call police three times Friday to keep media off the property.
"We need to restore calm and order to our school day," Smith said. "Having reporters crawling through our hallways in an attempt to talk to every student is disruptive to that process. We just don't want anyone in that building talking to our kids right now."
Naperville North students have not been in school since Wednesday as a result of parent-teacher conferences and the Columbus Day holiday.
Superintendent Mark Mitrovich confirmed all Naperville Unit District 203 schools will be open Tuesday as scheduled based on recommendations from the DuPage County Health Department.
Police spokesman Mike Anders said two to three officers and at least one sergeant will be at the Naperville North campus on Tuesday.
"The number of officers we send will be directly related to the number of media members who decide to show up," Anders said. "Anything we do will be professional and appropriate for the scenario."
Smith said students are aware of the district's relationship with the Naperville police and she does not believe their presence will detract from the district's goal for a normal school day.
"Certainly everyone is aware of what's gone on here and I don't think a few police cars will be disruptive," she said. "But if we have to choose one disruption over another, we'll take the police cars."
The media ban does not have a set end date and Smith said media presence will be dealt with on a day-to-day, case-by-case basis.
It would not, for example, prevent reporters from covering high school sports or the dedication of the Naperville North swimming pool scheduled for Tuesday, as long as reporters do not speak to students about the H1N1 virus.
Visitation for Michelle will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home and will be followed by burial at Naperville Cemetery.
Michelle's family asks that donations be made to the choral program at Naperville North, 899 N. Mill St.