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Oxford families support AG's 2nd offer to investigate high school shooting

Posted at 11:24 PM, Apr 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-20 23:24:41-04

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is giving Oxford Community Schools a second chance to accept her offer to do an independent investigation into the deadly shooting at the high school.

The school board has one month to decide. This comes just days after Nessel met with Oxford parents.

“We want to know what failed, so that we can make improvements and corrections moving forward," parent George Stoffan said.

Since the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School, Stoffan has been at almost every school meeting, searching for answers along with many other parents in the district.

"I think everybody agrees that the system failed," the father of two said.

Stoffan has a junior and a freshman in the system that he wants to see be changed. So, when he found out Nessel was in town hosting a meeting with Oxford parents, he made sure he was in attendance.

“I think that she (Nessel) was taken aback a little bit about how visceral this still was in the community as if this had just happened yesterday," he explained.

Less than 24 hours after Monday evening’s listening session, Nessel sent a letter to Oxford school board leaders.

In the letter, Nessel says she's offering "to perform an independent investigation of the events that transpired on November 30th.”

Stoffan said, “She left us with the sense that she has our back. That she was not going to let this go.”

Nessel assured the school board that “the investigation will be conducted in such a manner as not to interfere with the ongoing criminal proceedings being handled by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office”

The board denied her first offer months back, stating that an independent investigation could get in the way of the current trial.

“They are getting sued anyway. Right now, there are three lawsuits pending whether there is a review or not," Stoffan said.

One of those pending suits was filed by Steve St. Juliana, the father of Hana St. Juliana, the youngest victim killed in the school shooting.

Steve St. Juliana recently expressed the need for an independent investigation in front of the school board last month.

Stoffan says right now, there is a lack of trust in the school community.

“I think a lack of trust is one more causality of this tragedy," he explained.

Nessel says the board has until May 20 to respond to her offer.

Stoffan has a message to the school board: "Accept it! Accept it now!”

7 Action News reached out to the Oxford school board for comment and we are waiting to hear back.

To read the AG's full letter, visit the state’s website.