Resources Offered in Wake of Death at FHSD

The following message was sent by Superintendent Larry Hook to all district families at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The message includes specific resources for families and students to deal with grief. Additional resources on a variety of topics can be found at the FHSD Community Resource List. You will also find a comprehensive list of resources in the message at the bottom of this page. Additional mental health resources can be found here.

Anyone looking to connect with their student's counselor can find contact information at this page.

Dear Forest Hills Families,

It is with deep sadness that I’m writing to share with you information about the death of one of our staff members. We learned this morning that Tony Racca, a Turpin High School football coach, passed away unexpectedly overnight. Mr. Racca was a beloved member of the Turpin Athletics Department, and a deeply involved community member who has doubtlessly had an impact on students and adults across Forest Hills School District. Please join me in keeping Mr. Racca’s loved ones and friends in your hearts during this difficult time.

In order to support any and all individuals who may be affected by this tragedy, the district is implementing a variety of additional supports for students and staff as they navigate this difficult time. The Turpin High School administration and school TECIP team is working closely with district administrators to respond appropriately to this sudden loss. TECIP stands for Traumatic Event Crisis Intervention Plan and it guides our plans to better meet the psychological and emotional needs of all people impacted by events like this.

We will have additional counseling staff in Turpin High School Monday and as needed in the days ahead, offering support to anyone who needs it throughout this situation. All school buildings in FHSD are prepared to support students who may be impacted. Anyone who is struggling with this news can connect with their school counselor on Monday to get connected with necessary resources, or you can utilize the available resources listed below.

If you would like information on ways you can help your children through their grief, we have provided grief resources on the district website home page (www.foresthills.edu) and the Turpin High School home page, both under the “News” heading. Additional resources may be found by clicking these links: “How to help a grieving child” from Fernside Center for Grieving Children.

This guide offers tips on how to talk with your children, recognize signs of depression and help your children through any difficult situations they may be experiencing. Particularly in times of tragedy, we are reminded of the importance of maintaining open and on-going communication with children and teenagers. We have also linked a variety of available emergency resources at the bottom of this email for your knowledge.

I know our community will come together to support each other during this difficult time. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Larry R. Hook
Superintendent

EMERGENCY AND SUPPORT RESOURCES

• If you, your student, or anyone else you know is in a life-threatening health crisis or emergency, call 911.
• If you, your student, or anyone else you know is in emotional distress or experiencing suicidal crisis, call or text 988, available 24/7.
• If you have concerns about threats to student safety, we urge you to call or text the Safer Ohio School Tip Line at 844-SaferOH. This line is staffed 24/7.
• If you are seeking additional resources, we encourage you to start at the links below:
  
  • FHSD Family Resource List
  • MindPeace
    
    • MindPeace works together with community partners to continue the development and implementation of a seamless system of mental health support for children and adolescents, with a focus on school-based, stakeholder-selected partnerships.

In addition to those resources above, if your student is experiencing a non-life threatening mental health crisis and you need direction on next steps to stay safe, we urge you to call the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The PIRC line is (513) 636-4124.