I think we're about as ready as we can be. There are some few, and I emphasize few, schools that aren't in compliance with what we would consider standard safety procedures. An attorney and former school principal who has written widely on the legal issues related to school violence, Shaughnessy is employed as a consultant by many Catholic schools and dioceses. In the fall of 1999 she conducted a workshop in the Scranton, Pa, diocese where Bishop Neumann is located. Like other Catholic schools in the Scranton, Pa, diocese, Bishop Neumann has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons.
Safety measures the school had instituted included security cameras and secured entrances.
Students at Bishop Neumann must stow their backpacks in their lockers at the beginning of the day and are required to keep books in clear plastic. Nobody would have expected what happened at Bishop Neumann High School, but I also think it's important not to blow it out of proportion. In workshops delivered around the country and in a series of essays distributed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Shaughnessy discusses what steps schools can take to prevent violence or to minimize its impact when it occurs. She also addresses what she says is a common misunderstanding that Catholic schools don't need to comply with state law. Checklists given to school administrators and teachers ask them to describe the worst thing to happen in their schools and call for them to talk to children about whether they feel safe at school.