Andrew Pollack

Andrew Scot Pollack (born February 18, 1966) is an American author, school safety activist, and entrepreneur whose daughter Meadow was killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018.[1]

Andrew Pollack
Pollack in 2019
Born
Andrew Scot Pollack

(1966-02-18) February 18, 1966
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Shara Kaplan (divorced)
Julie Phillips
Children3, including Hunter and Meadow

Pollack is credited with helping to pass the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act" (Florida Senate Bill: 7026).[2] He has met with President Donald Trump and his cabinet, Florida governor Rick Scott, and many lawmakers.[3] Pollack is actively fighting to release more federal funding to increase school security in every school across the nation.[3] He believes that bulletproof glass, metal detectors, enhanced door lock systems, ID checkpoints, and "school marshals" can help prevent school shootings.[4]

On September 10, 2019, Pollack released his book, Why Meadow Died: The People and Policies That Created The Parkland Shooter and Endanger America's Students, alongside education expert and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Max Eden.[5][6]

Pollack spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Personal life and family

Pollack was born in the New York City borough of Queens, the son of Evelyn (Silverberg), a secretary, and Arnold Pollack, a dentist.[7][8] Pollack's paternal grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1933 and married a Polish Jewish immigrant seamstress.[7] Pollack grew up in Oceanside, New York and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1984.[7][9]

Pollack has three children from his first marriage to Shara Kaplan, sons Huck and Hunter and daughter Meadow.[7] In 1999, Pollack and his family moved from New York City to Coral Springs, Florida, to be closer to Pollack's parents who moved to Florida for their retirement years.[7] Pollack and Kaplan divorced in 2010, and Pollack married Julie Phillips around 2014.[7]

After briefly attending Sullivan County Community College, Pollack opened a debris cleanup business with a high school friend.[7] Pollack later moved to New York City in 1989 and started a scrap metal purchasing business.[7]

Upon moving to Florida, Pollack became a youth lacrosse coach and partnered with his neighbor to invest in real estate.[10]

Meadow Pollack

Meadow Jade Pollack (October 5, 1999[11] – February 14, 2018) was the daughter of Andrew Pollack and Shara Kaplan. She was named after Meadow Soprano, a character on The Sopranos.[7] A senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, she was murdered in the February 14, 2018 shooting.[1] Meadow was shot nine times and had attempted to avoid the shooter while struggling to get into a classroom. Teachers and students were not able to open the classroom door. Her father told CBN that as the shooter returned, Meadow covered another student (who died in the shooting) in an attempt to protect her. She was then shot five more times, killing her and the other student she shielded, Cara Loughran, a freshman.[12]

Meadow's death prompted her father to found Meadow's Movement, a movement fighting for increased school security to prevent future school massacres.[13]

Meadow had planned to attend Lynn University.[14]

Pollack and his wife, sitting alongside President Trump and others.

Activism

On February 21, 2018, Andrew and his two sons attended a White House listening session hosted by President Donald Trump that consisted of siblings and friends of slain victims along with survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. He spoke extensively on the topic of school security, claiming that schools do not have the same level of security as airports, stadiums, and embassies. Pollack raised that the September 11 attacks happened once and that measures were put in place to prevent it from ever happening again, also stating "There should have been one school shooting, and we should have fixed it!"[15]

Governor-elect of Florida Ron DeSantis, a Republican, included both Andrew and Hunter on his Transition Advisory Committee on Public Safety.[16]

References
  1. Levenson, Eric; Sterling, Joe. "These are the victims of the Florida school shooting". CNN. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  2. Grinberg, Emanuella; Jones, Athena; Sung, Carolyn. "Florida lawmakers pass bill that would allow school staff to carry guns". CNN. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  3. "Father of school shooting victim says he's on a mission to improve school safety". ABC News. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  4. Wilson, Kirby. "Parkland victim's father: School safety now, gun control later". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  5. "Parkland dad uncovers how district enabled deranged student-turned-shooter". New York Post. 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  6. "Parkland dad Andrew Pollack publishes book with new details about shooter's red flags before massacre". Tampa Bay Times. 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  7. Hitt, Tarpley (July 24, 2018). "Andrew Pollack Is the Parkland Massacre's Conservative Face". Miami New Times. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  8. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article200809799.html
  9. D'Onofrio, Matthew (March 22, 2018). "Oceanside native and father of slain Parkland victim on a mission to stop school shootings". Long Island Herald. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  10. Dusenbury, Wells (March 29, 2018). "After daughter killed in Parkland, lacrosse team helps Andrew Pollack 'take mind off everything'". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  11. "Meadow Jade Pollack Obituary - North Lauderdale, FL". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  12. "Father of Florida School Shooting Victim: 'Top Priority Should Be School Safety'". Christian Broadcasting Network. 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  13. Meadow's Movement (2018-03-07), Let's Fix It - Meadow's Movement, YouTube, retrieved 2018-03-30
  14. Chasmar, Jessica (2018-02-16). "Grieving Parkland father ripped for 'Trump 2020' shirt: 'Blood on his hands'". The Washington Times.
  15. ""I'm Pissed": Here's The Powerful Speech From A Father Of A Florida Shooting Victim To Trump". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  16. Sweeney, Dan (December 13, 2018). "Now that Ron DeSantis will be governor, are Broward Sheriff Scott Israel's days numbered?". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
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