TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. – Abbey Clements, survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook School tragedy and co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, released the following statement regarding news that officials in Canada will press OpenAI to share more about why their safety protocols didn’t allow the company to contact police about an account it banned belonging to an alleged mass shooter.

“My heart breaks for the students, parents, staff and entire Tumbler Ridge community mourning this tragedy. Too often what we see time and again is that educators and school staff are left out of important safety conversations, whether that is safety in schools, or big tech companies like OpenAI. The Canadian government would do a huge service to kids and teachers everywhere if they conducted a full investigation of why OpenAI didn’t take further action and release that information to the public along with recommendations on how these AI companies can improve their safety policies to keep our schools safe.”

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence envisions a future where every school in the United States can truly be a safe haven and learning environment for every child.

Abbey Clements is the executive director and a Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. She is a survivor teacher of the Sandy Hook School tragedy in 2012, and was an elementary educator for over 30 years. She is a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence National Advisory Council. Abbey has been featured in various events, publications, and documentaries including the 2024 DNC, Newtown, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Bullets Into Bells, AFT Voices, USA Today, AARP, Share My Lesson, The Hill, among others.

Feb. 25, 2025

Contact: Press@teachersunify.org

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