Although the focus was on safety, Niles Community Schools officials admitted the district violated its own school policy by not attempting to contact the parent of a student prior to interviewing the student about his knowledge of an alleged criminal violation.

Jenny Haden said her son, a student at Ring Lardner Middle School, was interviewed Friday by the school district’s liaison officer Kevin Kosten and Ring Lardner Assistant Principal Hiawatha Francisco after another student reported seeing a gun in a school locker. Haden was interviewed not because he was a suspect, but because he may have had knowledge useful in the investigation.

According to school district policy, before a student is questioned as a witness to or suspect in an alleged violation of law, the building administrator will attempt to contact the parents.

Haden said she was not contacted prior to the interview and learned about it after the fact from her son.

“I was angry,” she said.

Supt. Michael Lindley confirmed Tuesday that Francisco did not attempt to contact Haden prior to questioning her son.

“We violated policy,” Lindley said. “All I can say is in their exuberance to get to the bottom of it and see if there was actually a gun in school they didn’t stop to think about policy ramifications.”

Haden said she received apologies Monday from both Lindley and Ring Lardner Principal Doug Langmeyer. Neither Lindley and Langmeyer were in the office Friday when the interview took place.

Lindley said he would remind all district administrators that they need to know and follow all board policies.

“The reason for having policies is to have a consistent format across the district and help us to do our due diligence, but at the same time follow laws in the state of Michigan and our policies in general,” he said.

Haden said she is satisfied with the response from the district and hopes that they will follow school policy in the future.

“A simple phone call would have made a huge difference,” she said. “If any of my children get called down to the office for something this serious I want to be notified.”

The investigation began on Thursday after a student reported that he had seen a weapon in a locker at Ring Lardner School on Wednesday.

Langmeyer said that upon receiving the report Thursday, the school immediately notified the Niles Police Department and a thorough investigation, including a search of the building, was conducted.

That investigation, which included interviews with students, did not find any evidence of a weapon being on school grounds Wednesday.