A student was killed in class at Ross S. Sterling High School, and parents and students say the accused had a long history of discipline problems that the district isn’t sharing.
Last week Ross S. Sterling High School lost a student, Andrew Meismer, 16, after he was allegedly stabbed during the school day. Fellow students describe the suspect, Aundre Matthews, as someone with repeated disciplinary incidents and say prior threats and weapons on campus were never properly dealt with.
Students told reporters that Matthews had previous assault charges and had brought knives to campus before, and one student said “nothing was ever done about it.” Another student put it bluntly: “And the school district is out here, they’re not separating these kids that clearly aren’t fit to be in a normal classroom environment and are a danger to other students.”
Parents and community members now say the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District is hiding Matthews’ discipline file instead of answering tough questions. The district’s response has leaned on federal student privacy law as a shield while families push for clarity on how repeated misconduct was handled.
Now the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) is trying to cover up Matthew’s disciplinary record.
Dear Goose Creek Community,
My heart is heavy as I join the community in grieving yesterday’s tragedy at Sterling High School. We are mourning the loss of a student, and our deepest condolences are with the student’s family, friends, and all Sterling Rangers. There are no words that can fully meet a moment like this, but please know that the District and community stand with you.
We want to thank the faculty members closest to the event who acted swiftly and provided immediate care until professional medical assistance arrived.
We understand you have many questions. We do too. We are committed to being as transparent as possible, but this is an active police investigation, and it is now in the hands of law enforcement. That process will guide what information can be shared and when. As we are able, we will continue to communicate updates in a timely and responsible manner that is consistent with our obligations under federal student privacy law.
After careful consideration, the administration decided that the best way to serve our students and faculty in the wake of this tragedy would be to come together as a campus community to provide in-person support. To that end, we reopened Sterling on Thursday morning with a full crisis response team in place and ready to serve our students and staff as they process yesterday’s events.
It has also come to my attention that an image purporting to be a student’s disciplinary history has been publicly circulated. While the District is prohibited from discussing students’ disciplinary histories in the public sphere, I urge extreme discretion when relying on information circulated on social media, regardless of its source.
That said, please know that Goose Creek CISD takes student behavior very seriously and works diligently to address concerns as they arise. At the same time, our responses to student misconduct are guided and, at times, limited by state and federal law. These laws exist to protect students and families, even when outcomes are difficult to understand in the aftermath of tragedy.
As we close out the semester, our focus is on supporting students, staff, and families. Counselors and additional support personnel are available at Sterling and throughout the District, and we will continue to provide resources on campus and across the District as needed. Parents: While we believe this to be an isolated incident between two students, I encourage you to check in on your child, listen closely, and reach out if you see signs that they are struggling.
To the Sterling family and community: you are not alone. We will lift one another up in the days ahead, and we will honor this student’s life by wrapping our arms around those who are hurting and continuing our daily mission of providing a safe space for our students to learn and grow.
Thank you for your compassion, your patience, and your care for our students and staff.
Community posts surfaced a screenshot from the accused’s social account where he allegedly bragged about his record and wrote “relishing I’m a crashout.” That post added fuel to parents’ anger and gave the impression that school warnings went unheeded.
According to reports, between August 2024 and May 2025 Matthews was tied to nearly a dozen disciplinary incidents. Records cited by classmates and observers list charges for insubordination, sexual misconduct, fighting, failure to follow rules, having a knife twice, verbal abuse, and two incidents of simple assault against an employee.
Those violations reportedly resulted in detention or suspension, both in-school and out-of-school, and included at least one parent conference. Yet students say those steps failed to stop escalating behavior, and critics argue that minimal punishments for repeat infractions left other students exposed.
Some people are framing this as a problem with discipline policy, not just a single failure. Critics point to broader trends like restorative justice practices and claims that some districts are hesitant to impose firm consequences on certain students for fear of being labeled biased.
That debate has spilled into legal action elsewhere, where civil rights complaints have accused districts of punishing students differently by race and treating disruptive behavior as culturally appropriate rather than dangerous. Whether those claims apply here, parents want to know why repeated trouble did not lead to stronger, preventive action.
Superintendent Randall O’Brien has defended the district’s handling while noting legal limits on what can be shared during an active investigation. He’s also announced his retirement in June, and a successor, Joe Rodriguez, is set to begin January 5. The incoming leader will inherit a tense community demanding answers and safer classrooms.
Whatever the legal constraints, families are asking simple, direct questions: how many chances is too many, and who protects students when warnings are ignored? Those are practical questions conservatives and parents of every stripe expect school leaders to answer without spin.
