Executive Summary
- Highline College conducted its annual active shooter response drill on Jan. 21, accompanied by an FBI-led forum.
- The 2025 Annual Security Report (ASR) erroneously instructs staff to report crimes to the “University of Arizona,” suggesting copied text.
- Public Safety officials acknowledged borrowing wording from other institutions’ reports.
- The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) was found to be redacted and listed former employees no longer at the college.
DES MOINES, Wash. – Highline College officials executed the campus’s annual active shooter preparedness drill on January 21, an exercise accompanied by a safety forum led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The mandated drill was conducted amidst heightened scrutiny regarding the institution’s emergency protocols and the accuracy of its 2025 Annual Security Report (ASR), a federally required document detailing campus safety metrics.
According to an investigative report by the student publication The Thunderword, the college’s 2025 ASR contains procedural language that appears to be directly copied from the University of Arizona’s safety documentation. The section regarding Campus Security Authority (CSA) training explicitly states that personnel are “entrusted to promptly notify the University of Arizona of crimes reported to them.” When addressed regarding the text, Francesca Fender, Associate Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, stated, “If we admire the way another college writes a certain section of their report, we’ll borrow their wording and incorporate it.”
The drill aimed to reinforce the Department of Homeland Security’s “Run, Hide, Fight” protocol. However, further analysis of the college’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) revealed that the document is significantly redacted and lists executive cabinet members who are no longer employed by the institution. Critics note that specific emergency exit routes are difficult to locate within the available reports, raising concerns about the practical utility of the documentation for students and faculty during a crisis.
Regulatory Compliance & Safety Oversight
The identified discrepancies in the Annual Security Report implicate compliance standards set by the Clery Act, which mandates that all post-secondary institutions participating in federal student aid programs disclose accurate campus security information. Failure to accurately maintain these reports can jeopardize an institution’s eligibility for federal funding, including Pell Grants and subsidized loans. The administrative admission of incorporating unedited text from other universities suggests a potential gap in the internal review process, necessitating a rigorous audit to ensure safety protocols are tailored to Highline College’s specific operational environment.
