Golarz: To Indiana University's administrators I say, 'It's not your fault'

It was 3:30 a.m., bitterly winter cold, and I was driving one of the hilly backcountry roads of our school district. I was the superintendent of schools. I had closed schools for four consecutive days because of a massive ongoing snow storm. The storm had finally stopped, and later in my office I would need to decide with my administrative staff if today, Friday, would be the fifth closing day.

Starting at 2:30 that morning, three of us, driving separately, drove all of the city and country roads so that we could judge whether or not opening schools would be safe. In my office at 5 a.m., we concurred: the roads were safe.

I decided that there would be one final call to the police department. I got Capt. Mike Simpson, a long time associate.

“You are right, Ray. The roads are fine, but virtually none of the city residents have shoveled their sidewalks. To get to school, kids will need to walk in the streets. And it’s not like it was when you and I were kids — a lot more cars and trucks trying to unload goods after four days of a blizzard."

I replied, “Thanks, Mike.” Then to my staff I said, “We’re closing, and I can tell you right now that the community, teachers, and parents will be furious because it looks good out there. They don’t know what we know, but we’re not going to risk having some kid killed because we were afraid of public pressure. Get on the phones.”

I was right. The pressure was immense. There was even a protest in an adjoining district to fire the superintendent who had closed as we had done.

Leadership of school districts or universities is brutal, yet your first responsibility to your staff and students is always their safety.

Several years ago when COVID hit, I got a call to do a Zoom meeting with school superintendents from the state of Michigan.

“Ray, give them some advice regarding leadership in these turbulent times when hordes are coming to their public board meetings filled with anger and looking for an enemy.”

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The best I could give to them was this following healing statement made to the guilt-ridden young man in the movie "Good Will Hunting." "Remember son, 'It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.'

In our own community of Bloomington, there was a time when peaceful protests took place in Dunn Meadow. But as Capt. Simpson told me, “It’s not like it was when you and I were kids, Ray.”

The anger is now more intense and not directed at an enemy in some distant place like Washington, D.C.

No, the enemy is now in the same meadow. If you are Arab, they are Jewish. They carry their flags and you carry yours. They express their anger and you express yours. You are young, strong, and aggressive and so are they. Violent confrontations can erupt.

Picture now along the edge of your meadow a young person walks to class. Could they, in the heat of that moment, be mistaken for an enemy? Who’s to keep them safe?

Who’s to keep them safe when there are enemies on the same meadow in a state that permits nearly everyone to carry guns in public, even if they are prohibited on campus?

What will you do, young college administrators, to keep everyone safe?

To you young administrators, we who preceded you say: trust you judgment. Do first what you can to provide safety to your staff and students, and then remember this evil was not of your making.

“It’s not your fault."

Raymond Golarz has authored or co-authored 12 books. He has keynoted criminal justice or education conferences throughout the United States and Canada. His website is RayGolarz.com. He resides in Bloomington.