[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 88 (Friday, June 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H6665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING SOUTH ORANGETOWN SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT KEN MITCHELL

  (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend South Orangetown 
Schools Superintendent Ken Mitchell in Rockland County in my district 
for his quick reaction and his bravery as he singlehandedly prevented 
what could have been a terrible tragedy in South Orangetown Middle 
School.
  According to reports, a man came into the school, stormed past 
security and demanded at gunpoint that Mr. Mitchell make changes to a 
letter on swine flu. He certainly picked the wrong person to threaten 
when he took on Mr. Mitchell, a former hockey player and coach. The 55-
year-old superintendent was able to tackle him and disarm him before 
police were able to break into the locked office to apprehend the 
suspect.
  Thankfully, no one was hurt.
  Why someone would enter a school with a gun is something I will never 
understand. It's disturbing to even fathom what could lead someone to 
choose to do that. However, it is heartening to realize that someone 
like Ken Mitchell is standing in their way.
  The dedication shown by Mr. Mitchell to the children should be an 
example to all. Our Nation has witnessed too many deaths of our 
children in their schools. The people of the South Orangetown school 
system and the community as a whole owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
  Hero is an overused word in today's world, but I can think of fewer 
situations which more warrant that word than protecting children in 
their classrooms. Ken Mitchell is truly a hero.

                          ____________________