Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that several members of the Hudson Teachers Association don't want students to be allowed to carry cellphones after video recordings of several fights at the middle school surfaced online. The March 1 board meeting where the teachers made their request was attended by more than 200 people. Superintendent LisaMarie Spindler explained how the district was addressing the fights and other recent threats of violence at the school. At one point Splindler said that a girl wielding a knife in one of the videos did not make contact with her intended target. Brianna Conte, the mother of the boy being attacked in the video, disagreed with the superintendent saying, "No, there was not just a stabbing motion — contact was made." She also said the school never called her about the incident. At the meeting Lola Roberts said a male student threatened to shoot her daughter and the district had downplayed the incident. "The school needs to stop pushing stuff under the rug," she said. Spindler admitted the district was not prepared for the effect the pandemic and remote learning had on students' mental health. She said the district was hiring a social worker, a guidance counselor, and a restorative justice specialist with stimulus funds to address the issue. The next day Spindler sent a letter to parents that said, "that we have taken immediate action to enhance safety in our schools, and we are committed to (continuing) exploring and implementing additional initiatives to ensure that our schools are safe, secure environments for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors." She also said bathrooms at the high school would now lock during transitions between classes. The Hudson school board also voted to hire a public relations firm to communicate with parents and the press, paying Focus Media of Goshen $175 per professional per hour. Read the full story in the Times Union.