Plaque Honoring Slain Manhattan Beach Teacher Stolen
Mar 28, 2025 08:01PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
(Note: This story was updated on 4/1/25 with comment from MBPD.)
A plaque honoring Manhattan Beach Middle School special education teacher Sandy Casey, who died by gunfire in the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, was stolen from outside MBMS this week.
Casey, along with Manhattan Beach Police Department records technician Rachael Parker, were among those killed in the mass shooting.
The plaque had been planted in front of the middle school, along with a pine tree. The plaque read: "In Memory of Sandy Casey: 'Storms Make Trees Take Deeper Roots.'"
(A piece of particleboard currently covers the space where the plaque once was.)According to MBUSD spokesperson Hibah Samad, the administration
discovered the plaque was missing on Tuesday, March 25, and
reported it to the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The school was able to provide video footage
to MBPD to assist in their investigation.
"It was very upsetting
to learn about this incident," Samad told MB News. "The plaque was a meaningful tribute to a
beloved educator who left a lasting impact on our community."
Samad added that a replacement plaque has already been ordered.
Reached for comment, an MBPD spokesperson told MB News that there were no leads as of yet. According to the spokesperson, the surveillance video is grainy, but a suspect is seen walking up and taking the plaque. No vehicle was seen in the video.
Plaques Frequently Stolen for Bronze
It is unclear why this particular plaque was stolen; however, multiple plaques in the region have been stolen from public memorials to be resold for their bronze content.
In January 2024, the plaque from the monument in Bruce's Beach Park was stolen. At the time, city officials had speculated that it was most likely part of a recent rash in thefts of bronze from memorials in the greater Los Angeles area.
The replacement Bruce's Beach Park plaque has now been affixed differently to deter theft, a city spokesperson told MB News.
Event Was Deeply Traumatic in Manhattan Beach
The mass shooting event was deeply traumatic in Manhattan Beach, especially in the Manhattan Beach school district and the Manhattan Beach Police Department, which each suffered the loss of a beloved colleague.
Casey had attended the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival along with a
group of Manhattan Beach educators, including then-MBMS Principal Kim
Linz, then-MBMS teacher Debbie Dreiling; school psychologists Marjorie
Questin and Emily
Allen;
then-Pennekamp Principal Karina Gerger; and then-MCHS and Meadows instructional assistant Chris Willemse, who was also Casey's fiancé.
Casey was described in an online tribute as a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, fiancé, school teacher, and friend.
"Sandy's dedication to her students was one of the her greatest
attributes as an educator," read the tribute. "Every student that walked through her
classroom door was showered with motivational quotes, like 'Today is a
Good Day for a Good Day' and 'Mistakes are proof that you are trying.' Sandy set the tone to inspire her students to feel creative, supported,
safe and important. A daily occurrence of #VermontJokes which her
students and staff affectionately referred to them as, included 'give
him butter, he's on a roll' or her sweet voice saying 'pumkin' here and
there when she meant business. Sandy was an amazing teacher that has
left an everlasting impact on her students."
Also at the festival were four total off-duty MBPD employees. In
addition to Parker, MBPD Officer Chad Swanson suffered minor injuries.
Swanson was hailed as a hero for
helping the wounded and escorting others to safety - while being
wounded himself. Swanson was tragically killed in a freeway accident in October 2023.
Plaque Was Installed at No Cost
After a tree had been planted in Casey's memory, the school board asked its contractor, Balfour Beatty, to establish a perimeter to protect the tree. Balfour Beatty offered to not only protect the tree but erect a
plaque at no additional cost.
Willemse helped dedicate the plaque in May 2023. At the dedication, he said that the quote on the plaque was the "perfect" because Casey wanted to teach her students that sort of resilience.
Casey's “Today is a Good Day for
a Good Day" quote remains on a
number of doors and benches on the MBMS campus.
