Baytown students hold town hall following fatal stabbing at Sterling High
BAYTOWN, Texas - Two weeks after a fatal campus fight claimed the life of a student, the Sterling High School community is seeking answers and demanding policy changes.
Sterling HS town hall
A student-led coalition hosted a community town hall. The meeting was focused on safety in Goose Creek ISD schools after the fatal stabbing involving students on campus Dec. 17
What we know:
Students and parents gathered Friday evening for a town hall meeting at Love United Methodist Church.
The forum, organized by the newly-developed Baytown Student Safety Coalition, served as a direct response to the Dec. 17 death of Andrew Meismer, a student at Ross S. Sterling High School who was killed during an altercation on school grounds.
Student killed in fight
The backstory:
According to authorities, Meismer died from stab wounds sustained during the fight.
The suspect, 18-year-old Aundre Matthews, remains in Harris County custody on a murder charge. Court proceedings for Matthews are expected to resume next week.
Court documents state the two got into a fight over the sale of a $21 THC vape pen.
Matthews has a $3 million bond.
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Sterling HS student accused of stabbing classmate to death over vape gets $3M bond
Bond has been set at $3 million for a Goose Creek CISD Sterling High School student accused of stabbing a classmate to death with a pair of scissors over a $21 vape pen.
Community concerns
Local perspective:
The town hall comes amid mounting frustration with Goose Creek Independent School District (ISD) leadership.
Community members have raised questions regarding the suspect’s alleged disciplinary history, claiming that prior red flags may have been overlooked.
Andrew Meismer's parents were in attendance at the meeting. Also in attendance were Goose Creek ISD's newly-appointed Superintendent, Dr. Joe Rodriguez, District 3 Board Member Mercedes Renteria, III, District 4 Board Member Richard P. Clem, and Chiefs of Police for Baytown and Goose Creek ISD.
FOX 26 has reached out to Goose Creek ISD leaders, including the school board, but have yet to hear back.
The Source: FOX 26's Sherman Desselle is attending Friday's Town Hall meeting.