Allison Ryan, a mother of two and a licensed clinical social worker, used the public‑comment period at the Sayville Union Free School District board meeting to press administrators to expand the districtwide school safety plan to address dating violence, coercive control and technology‑facilitated abuse.

“I am grieving for all victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, including Emily Finn and Gabby Petito,” Ryan said, urging the board to move beyond one‑time assemblies. She told the board that older students need “developmentally appropriate, honest education about healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationships,” and that “healthy relationship education is school safety.”

Ryan said the district’s current safety plan, despite focusing on violence prevention, “contains no meaningful reference to dating violence, intimate partner violence, coercive control, technology facilitated abuse, or the elevated danger [immediately] after break up.” She cited national patterns — including that homicide is a leading cause of death for teenage girls — to argue for sustained curriculum and stronger partnerships with local intimate‑partner‑violence agencies.

A district administrator responding in the meeting said health classes have incorporated conversations about healthy relationships and noted that the Gabby Petito Foundation had visited the high school that morning and would return to host parent workshops. “They came this morning and spoke with our students. The students were able to speak with them, ask questions, and have an open and honest conversation about that,” the administrator said.

Board members acknowledged receipt of Ryan’s earlier written letter and said staff were following up. The board did not take formal action on the safety plan at the meeting; a board member said staff are “taking actions” while the district and community process the loss.

Why it matters: Ryan framed relationship education and trauma‑informed supports as part of school safety — a shift that affects curriculum choices, staff training and potential partnerships with community service providers. The board’s next formal steps were not specified during the meeting.

What happens next: Administrators said the district will continue outreach and programming (including parent workshops with the visiting foundation); the board did not schedule a specific vote to revise the safety plan during the session.