Should any safety concerns arise, they will be investigated immediately and thoroughly following CPS protocol to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff.Safety is a collective responsibility, and I would like to emphasize the importance of using social media responsibly. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. When you stop to think about the impact of this trend, it is really quite staggering: the lost classroom time for students whose parents kept them home out of fear and concern or where schools had to close completely for the day because of threats; the time that law enforcement spends investigating threats and providing extra support and presence at schools. Police, school districts investigating threats on social media Virginia School District Sought to Spend $200,000 to Monitor 'Social Deborah A. Flores, the Gilroy Unified School District superintendent, said in a letter to staff and families that the high school was closing in part because some in the community still experience trauma from the shooting at the citys garlic festival in July 2019, where three people were killed. We're going to carry this on. "I don't want to go any further than saying that there's an encouragement of violence.". The sheriff gave the all clear and will have deputies on duty at each campus. Lamar High School threat: HISD campus and 2 schools in Lamar The apparent social media threats had many educators on edge since they were circulating in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting in Michigan, which has been followed by numerous. Schools hit with fake shooting threats across US; FBI - USA TODAY In all these cases, the social media platforms failed to flag accounts, remove posts, or notify authorities. Michigan school shooting suspect posted direct threat on social media Schools across Massachusetts are planning to take precautions on Friday in light of a troubling post that's been shared on social media threatening violence at every school across the country. For an evening update, sign up for the Evening Briefing. Ukraine war latest: 'Drone attack' in Moscow - Sky News School systems led by Seattles system have sued the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube in connection with their alleged role in the youth mental health crisis, and those suits are pending in federal court in Northern California. Similar messages about school safety and threats were made by districts in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Seattle. Out of an abundance of caution those schools closed their doors to students and worked in cooperation with law enforcement to investigate every threat. "They're already more anxious because of how much their learning experience has changed during the pandemic," she said. Unfortunately, this is an issue across social media platforms, not just Facebook. Some Chicago area schools increasing police presence on Dec. 17. But the process usually isnt straightforward. "The Iowa Department of Public Safety has been investigating. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. All rights reserved. They are not investigative bodies, they are trying to educate children. She added, The majority are jokes and hoaxes but you never know when one isnt and so you have to take every single one seriously.. However, they have found no credible threats to our Frenship campuses. The other local schools released similar statements, claiming no valid threats have been detected. Schools in Utah's Tooele County School District faced multiple social media threats about a potential school shooting on December 17, but police believe the threats were made by students in an attempt to get out of class. A third challenge, known as devious licks, enticed students to vandalize school bathrooms or steal school equipment. We cant keep putting students, parents and our communities through this. A complete school investigation and any resulting school disciplinary action in alignment with our policies on threats of violence will be taken as well, Holm wrote. Have a wonderful break!Sincerely,Dr. The pandemic caused up to a year and a half of upturned learning. The federation has 1.7 million members. People who are taking care of loved ones who are traumatized cant stop thinking what they are going through. We know that adolescents yearn for a sense of belonging, and these challenges tapped directly into that need. The primary challenge schools face when managing threats is balancing the need for continuity in education with the safety of students and faculty. In December 2021, schools across the nation received school shooting threats and bomb threats that originated on TikTok and spread across other platforms, aBloomberg news reportstated. East Coweta High School student accused of making threats on social media A Douglas County School System officials said that the threat is identical to one that has recently been shared to several school districts in the area. Could social media platforms prevent school shootings? Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by Attorney Matthew Bergman, Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by. "It is clear that DeSantis will need to do a better job of connecting with voters," political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek on Sunday. There is a challenge in terms of well-being and behavior in the classroom, and a teacher doesnt have at the ready a counselor or a social worker that they can go to, Weingarten said. Threat Assessment: School Threats, Social Media, Texting and Rumors The report comes at a time of heightened concern about the impact of social media on children and teenagers. It is time for these platforms to start prioritizing public safety over profits. "This comes after multiple recent instances of school threats. The social media threats had many educators on edge as they circulated in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting in Michigan, which has been followed by numerous copycat threats to schools . The company said a search of its posts showed users warning about the threats but no evidence of anyone directly making or promoting them. According to letters sent from a partnership of school districts, the general threat toward all U.S. schools" declares Dec. 17 as "American School Shooting Day. Every case is unique. Their Investigative Unit was able to obtain identifying information from Facebook (Meta) and the student was arrested. "If you see something, say something" is a phrase that we share with our students often. urged people to contact the police or the federal authorities if they saw a threat against a school. Nationwide school threat hoax prompts BPS to issue statement - Yahoo News Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Social Media School Threats | Social Media Victims Law Center BEAU, TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS THREAT. However, social media platforms will never accept responsibility until forced to do so through litigation. IE 11 is not supported. Nationwide social media threat warning of school shootings - syracuse These children are being charged with felonies and beginning their adult lives in prison or with a record. . A wave of school-shooting threats circulating on TikTok and other social media prompted some U.S. schools to close Friday and others to bolster their police presence. Contact Erin Richards at (414) 207-3145 or erin.richards@usatoday.com. Frenship ISD officials stated they are aware of the threats targeting many schools across New Mexico and the South Plains. "These closures and this danger has a real, tangible impact on young people's mental health and well-being. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KCCI-TV. Students' addiction to social media apps is costing school districts valuable time and resources, teachers and administrators say. Only parents and guardians will be allowed to pick up students. Like schools across the country, we ensured that no threats existed, stepped up law enforcement presence and were hyper-vigilant throughout the day. New requirements coming in 2024 for Americans traveling to Europe, Chicago Weather: More humid with scattered storms Tuesday, 2 hospitalized after grill fire at Kane County home. After seeing the threat on social media, Jalloway came home from college early, concerned for her high school sister. I am hopeful that Friday, Dec. 17, will be a turning point. That means involvement of the police and other authorities, notification of our families and taking all safety measures to protect students and staff in our schools. The sad piece here is that these school systems had to resort to suing the social media companies to get them to stop, she said. N.J. schools grapple with spike in threats of violence, shootings on School Threat - ABC7 Los Angeles More about Maria Cramer, A version of this article appears in print on, Some U.S. Schools Close After Shooting Rumors on Social Media, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/us/tiktok-school-shooting-threat.html. Ben Collins, Maine South PrincipalDr. School administrators and the Douglas County School System Police Department investigated the message and say they determined there is no threat toward to the campus. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. Law enforcement agencies in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast on Friday are investigating an unfounded threat circulating on social media against an unnamed. This trend affected millions upon millions of people that day. Social media posts threatening more violence after the deadly Oxford High School shooting led to the wave of closures Wednesday night. In Virginia, a 17-year-old was arrested on Wednesday after he posted a threatening message on social media. Follow her on Twitter at @emrichards. For additional resources, please visit the SEL/Mental Health section on our website.The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and we commit to offering a safe and secure educational environment. How, in the year 2021 with all the senseless acts of violence in schools that have occurred including and since Columbine in 1999 can we allow a platform to exist that propagates terroristic threats toward our nations schools? Replica gun leads to lockdown at Van Nuys High School. If a student witnesses any harming behaviors it should be reported immediately. One impulsive post that takes 10 seconds to make can destroy a young persons future, regardless of the individuals age. On Friday morning, the company reported it still had not found content that promoted violence in schools only videos discussing the rumor. They say there is no credible threat in the area. "This is just something where someone posted and is encouraging violence in the schools. "The threats circulating on social media claiming that December 17 is a day to do harm at schools," they added. One reason it was so invaluable we had Matt in our lives is I was so completely distraught over what was happening that it was wonderful to know that someone in the background was making certain that things were being taking care of. Educators announced plans to increase security in response to TikTok posts warning of shooting and bomb threats at schools around the country Friday . The social media posts, which are being shared on platforms such as TikTok, are warning about the possibility of nationwide shootings or bomb threats associated with this day. The school shooter atOxford High Schoolin Michigan made multiple threats over social media before the shooting and posted a direct threat on his Twitter bio. There is a great deal of content posted on Tik Tok, most of it harmless. We only handle cases on a contingent fee basis. School districts partnered together including Adel DeSoto Minburn, Ames, Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Dallas Center-Grimes, Des Moines, Johnston, North Polk, Norwalk, Southeast Polk, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines. LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Local law enforcement is investigating threats made against four different school districts in the area Wednesday morning. District 207 in the northwest suburbs issued a statement that said Des Plaines police and Park Ridge police are aware of the messages, and both departments have indicated the threats are not credible. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. Social media apps have the ability to monitor internet activity for marketing purposes.