Dear Editor,

As a justice of the peace, my primary duty is the protection of my community, the preservation of order, and the defence of the vulnerable — chief among them, our children. It is from this posture of civic responsibility, rather than personal grievance, that I am compelled to speak publicly on a matter of growing concern regarding third-party commercial operations on educational grounds.

Recently, my family experienced a deeply distressing incident at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona pool, a facility currently leased and operated by a private entity. What should have been a routine, positive recreational session for our young children degraded into an aggressive, poorly managed conflict involving site security and management personnel.

In an environment specifically designated as a haven for youth development and family engagement, my children were subjected to unnecessary hostility and distress — a matter so severe that a formal report has since been lodged with the Mona police.

While disagreement is a reality of human interaction, the escalation of customer management disputes in front of children — and particularly targeting or distressing minors in the process — represents a failure of basic operational standards.

Private entities granted the privilege of doing business within institutional communities must be held to the highest standards of decorum, conflict resolution, and child safety protocols.

As an unwavering supporter of The UWI Mona community, I am confident that university leadership will address this specific matter with the seriousness and institutional rigour it warrants. However, I share this experience to serve as a cautionary tale for parents, patrons, and institutional administrators across similar contexts: access to a leased facility does not grant any entity absolute authority, and it does not exempt commercial operators from accountability to the public.

No commercial operator is untouchable. There is a just, established system of recourse through both institutional guardrails and the rule of law for every citizen who experiences a breach of safety or decorum. When third-party vendors forget their obligation to respect the community they serve, those systems must and will be engaged.

I urge all institutional leadership bodies to maintain strict oversight and enforcement mechanisms for private sub-tenants, ensuring that child protection and community respect remain non-negotiable conditions of doing business. Silence only invites further misconduct; we owe our children a higher standard.

Nicholas McDavid

nicholas.mcdavid@jp.gov.jm