Dear Parents and Guardians:

As the Frostburg State University community begins to mourn the loss of Kortneigh McCoy, I wanted to share with you how we are responding to this morning’s tragedy.

First of all, I want to express my deep appreciation to our students for the compassion and leadership they have demonstrated during this difficult time. On Sunday afternoon, members of the Unified Voices Under God’s Dominion expanded an already-scheduled Sunday service to memorialize Kortneigh with music, dance, scripture and prayer. This provided members of our community an opportunity to express their grief, offer prayers for Kortneigh’s loved ones, and provide support to one another.

I want to assure you that we will continue to reach out to students who are still struggling, like many of us, with this tragedy. In particular, the staff members in Counseling and Psychological Services and Residence Life, together with our campus chaplains, are at the ready to respond to the needs of our students, as they have since early Sunday morning. They have been joined by many other staff and faculty members who have also been assisting our students. If you feel that your son or daughter would benefit from the services of our counseling staff, please encourage them to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 301-687-4234. We understand that many of our students may still be in shock, and we also recognize that grief often is experienced in waves.

It will take time for our campus community to heal from this tragic incident. I was incredibly moved by the strength and feeling of Kortneigh’s fellow students at the memorial service. Our prayers continue for the families and friends of Kortneigh.

Sincerely,

Jonathan C. Gibralter

President