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Illinois School Board Journal
March/April 2004

Dealing with crisis: One step at a time

by Melea Smith

Melea Smith is director of communications for Naperville CUSD 203 and holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois chapter of the National School Public Relations Association.

This was planned as a column about the award-winning physical fitness program in a kid-friendly town called Naperville. But no one in Naperville is thinking about that accolade, even though the P.E. program just earned a $200,000 grant from the federal government to continue its cutting-edge work, which has been nationally lauded and internationally recognized.

Instead, District 203 is focused on a junior high P.E. teacher who recently has been accused by grown men, now in their 30s, of sexual misconduct when they were in high school and he was their coach, some 20 years ago. Neither the final outcome nor the ultimate truth of this situation can be predicted right now. What we do know, and are too constantly reminded of, is how easily an unexpected crisis can turn our lives upside-down.

As the local papers carry account after account - including charges by an anonymous individual - parents reel, while students who know and love him spend late nights in teary-eyed conversation, trying to make sense of it all. We have dispensed counselors to affected locations, but who among us is not affected? The speed of rumor is challenged only by the amazing ability of various media to keep us all posted on the latest "development."

As director of communications, I advise the superintendent; field calls from the press; make sure internal and external publics have the facts, as we know them; and attempt to ride, if not control, the beast.

Unfortunately, this is familiar territory. Over the past 17 years, I have mentored other quality school districts through the murder of one high school student by another, a classroom stabbing and the on-field death of a young female soccer player, among other life-wrenching circumstances.

It's time to reach for the PR crisis manual. Here's my Top Ten Survival List:

1. Gather the facts, as you know them. Do not include speculation or conjecture.
2. Contact your attorney if the situation warrants (or just to make sure it doesn't).
3. Declare a spokesman (and back-up), asking everyone else in the organization to reserve comment on the situation. Speak only from your list of known facts. Be honest. Create a list of talking points from which other statements will be crafted.
4. Even though the wolves are at the door, gather the troops and let them know what you're all up against. Personal contact is best, but in a large organization, e-mail will do in a pinch. Internal publics should always take precedence over external.
5. Contact your Key Communicators - those in your community to whom people turn for answers; those you can count on to articulate the District's position clearly. (This network needs to be established prior to crisis; if you don't have one, get one started NOW.) Start your KC network by communicating matters of interest; put these individuals on the front line, providing information to them simultaneously or even ahead of the press.
6. Keep a running log of contacts - who has called; whose questions have been answered (and what they were). Record names and numbers (remember to gather fax and e-mail information) for future use, along with the date and time of contact, as well as any follow-up. Save time updating individuals by promising that you will include them on the list of those contacted whenever a statement is issued. A prepared, written statement is always recommended.
7. Return phone calls and e-mail inquiries as quickly as possible, even if only to say that further comment would be inappropriate at this time. ("No comment" always sounds suspect, like you know something, but are hiding it. If you don't know, say so. At the very least, say that since this is a personnel matter, right-to-privacy laws prohibit further discussion.)
8. Consider holding a press conference. Sometimes the easiest way to answer the media barrage and get the word out is to do it all at once. This assures equal information and affords you maximum control: you name the time and place. I highly recommend reading from a prepared script, to make sure all points are covered, but be prepared to answer impromptu questions, too.
9. Practice creating the sound bytes you want to hear on the 10 o'clock news. Think about the audience (not the reporter) and what you want your message to be. Preface that with a moment of silence; follow that with a moment of silence. It's a simple way to exercise control over the focus of the on-air interview. Use the "bridge" technique to deflect difficult questions: "Well I can't comment on (don't know about) that, but what I can tell you is ... we will not compromise the safety of our students under any circumstances."
10. Provide updates to your internal publics where possible. They are feeling pressured, too. A dissatisfied/ uninformed insider can do countless damage to an organization.

It has been my experience that crisis is not counted in days, or weeks, but in lessons learned. Above all, be open to what the encounter has to offer. Don't be afraid to reassess and redirect as a result.