Andrew Pollack

Andrew Scott Pollack (born February 18, 1966) is an American author, school safety activist, and entrepreneur whose daughter Meadow was one of the 17 murdered victims 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
New York City, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Shara Kaplan (divorced)
Julie Phillips
Children3, including Hunter and Meadow

Pollack is among the Stoneman Douglas High School parents who lobbied for passage of the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act" (Florida Senate Bill: 7026).[2] Unlike many other Stoneman Douglas survivors and victims' parents,[3] Pollack has endorsed politicians who oppose gun-control measures, and he advocates programs that would arm teachers.[4] He argues that bulletproof glass, metal detectors, enhanced door lock systems, ID checkpoints, and "school marshals" can help prevent school shootings.[5]

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.[6][7] Pollack's paternal grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1933 and married a Polish Jewish immigrant seamstress.[6] Pollack grew up in Oceanside, New York and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1984.[6][8]

Pollack has three children from his first marriage to Shara Kaplan, sons Huck and Hunter and daughter Meadow.[6] 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.[6] Pollack and Kaplan divorced in 2010, and Pollack married Julie Phillips around 2014.[6]

After briefly attending Sullivan County Community College, Pollack opened a debris cleanup business with a high school friend.[6] Pollack later moved to New York City in 1989 and started a scrap metal purchasing business.[6]

Upon moving to Florida, Pollack became a youth lacrosse coach and partnered with his neighbor to invest in real estate.[9]

Meadow Pollack

Meadow Jade Pollack (October 5, 1999[10] – February 14, 2018) was the daughter of Andrew Pollack and Shara Kaplan. She was named after Meadow Soprano, a character on The Sopranos.[6] A senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, she was murdered in in the February 14, 2018, shooting by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the school. [1] Meadow was shot six 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.[11]

Meadow's death prompted her father to found Meadow's Movement, a movement fighting for increased school security to prevent future school massacres.[12]

Meadow had planned to attend Lynn University.[13]

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

Activism

Pollack has met with President Donald Trump and his cabinet, Florida governors Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, and many legislators.[14]

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 noted 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]

In 2018, Pollack was reported as actively fighting to release more federal funding to increase school security across the nation.[14]

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

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.[17][18]

Pollack spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

References
  1. Levenson, Eric; Sterling, Joe. "These are the victims of the Florida school shooting". CNN. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  2. Grinberg, Emanuella; Jones, Athena; Sung, Carolyn. "Florida lawmakers pass bill that would allow school staff to carry guns". CNN. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  3. "Mission and Story". March for Our Lives.
  4. Klein, Betsy (July 24, 2020). "Parkland dads cast diverging viewpoints in Republican and Democratic conventions". CNN. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. Wilson, Kirby. "Parkland victim's father: School safety now, gun control later". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  6. Hitt, Tarpley (July 24, 2018). "Andrew Pollack Is the Parkland Massacre's Conservative Face". Miami New Times. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. "Meadow Pollack, killed in Parkland, was a star with 'a smile like sunshine' | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. "Meadow Jade Pollack Obituary - North Lauderdale, FL". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  11. "Father of Florida School Shooting Victim: 'Top Priority Should Be School Safety'". Christian Broadcasting Network. March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  12. Meadow's Movement (March 7, 2018), Let's Fix It - Meadow's Movement, YouTube, retrieved March 30, 2018
  13. Chasmar, Jessica (February 16, 2018). "Grieving Parkland father ripped for 'Trump 2020' shirt: 'Blood on his hands'". The Washington Times.
  14. "Father of school shooting victim says he's on a mission to improve school safety". ABC News. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  15. ""I'm Pissed": Here's The Powerful Speech From A Father Of A Florida Shooting Victim To Trump". BuzzFeed News. February 22, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  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.
  17. "Parkland dad uncovers how district enabled deranged student-turned-shooter". New York Post. September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  18. "Parkland dad Andrew Pollack publishes book with new details about shooter's red flags before massacre". Tampa Bay Times. September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
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