Calvin Polachek has been accused of fabricating a story about surviving a school shooting in Dallas, Pennsylvania. He claimed the incident occurred eight years ago and resulted in the deaths of 11 classmates, including his brother and best friend. However, former classmates and local authorities have refuted these claims.
“There was never a school shooting,” said Sarah Cominsky, an alumna of Dallas High School. Four other classmates corroborated her statement, noting that Polachek’s brother is alive and well.
Thomas Duffy, Superintendent of the Dallas School District, expressed his surprise at Polachek’s statements. “It’s my 26th year in Dallas, and I could tell you that, thankfully, we’ve never had an event like that in our school district,” he told a local ABC affiliate.
Dallas Police Chief Doug Higgins also addressed the falsehoods on social media: “There has never been a school shooting at Dallas High School,” he posted on Facebook. The police department criticized the spread of these claims as “deeply troubling.”
Polachek reportedly first shared his story three months ago at an anti-gun rally in Kentucky organized by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action chapters. The false narrative was picked up by various media outlets and circulated widely online.
“The widespread sharing of a fabricated tragedy is not only reckless; it is harmful,” stated the Dallas Police Department. They emphasized that no such event ever took place at any point in their community’s history.
Since his story was debunked, Polachek has not responded to media inquiries or comments from organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation.
Polachek’s background includes being a mascot for Bentley College for three years. In past interviews with his college newspaper, he expressed aspirations to work as a professional team mascot.
In response to Polachek’s actions, Everytown senior director Sarah Boland Heine stated: “Polachek is not an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action.” She condemned his use of their platform to share falsehoods and affirmed efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The article was republished with permission from Lee Williams, chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project.
