SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Update – CNY Central has received a response from the school district stating that Superintendent Anthony Davis has viewed the security footage. The district’s spokesperson also mentioned that the school sentries were unaware of the severity of the teacher’s injuries while escorting the mother and grandmother out of the school on Feb. 16.
Speaking from prepared notes, Syracuse City School District Superintendent Anthony Davis recounted the violent assault on a teacher at Lincoln Middle School on Feb. 20, four days after the incident took place. According to Davis, the suspect, Lynzina Sutton, arrived at the school with an older relative during school arrival time. Sutton managed to blend in with the students and bypass security by putting up her hood due to her height. Although security prevented the accompanying relative from entering the school, they allowed Sutton to pass.
The grandmother of the suspect, facing assault and burglary charges that could result in seven years of imprisonment, claimed that the entrance door to the school was left open on the morning of the incident. Roxanne Thompkins shared videos purportedly showing her and her daughter’s entry and exit on Feb. 16, with the footage revealing the entrance doors propped open despite her usual need to buzz for entry.
Thompkins provided a walkthrough of the videos, including scenes of the school’s interior and the security escorting them out after the incident. Contradicting the police department’s assertion that Sutton immediately fled after the attack, Thompkins claimed they were only led out around 7:30 a.m., while Sutton was not apprehended until 2:30 p.m.
The Syracuse City School District has not confirmed whether Superintendent Anthony Davis has viewed the videos, stating that the circumstances of Sutton and her mother leaving the school are still being investigated. Davis mentioned that during the school arrival time, doors tend to remain open due to the influx of students, but there was no deliberate obstruction to keep them open.
Nicole Capsello, the president of the Syracuse Teachers Association, refrained from providing comments due to the ongoing investigation.