Resources focused on managing and responding to false threats, including best practices for communication, threat assessment, and maintaining a safe school environment.
In light of the recent increase in threats to schools, many of which have proven to be false, it is crucial that we remain vigilant and well prepared. While these threats may not materialize, they can still cause significant disruption, fear and resource strain within our schools and communities. To help you better navigate these challenges, I am sharing a collection of resources focused on managing and responding to false threats, including best practices for communication, threat assessment, and maintaining a safe school environment. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need additional support.
-Joey Melvin
False Threats: Immediate Action Steps for Schools
False reports of threats directed toward K-12 schools have become a nationwide epidemic. Request our free pre-incident tabletop exercise template and post-incident After Action Report template to enhance safety measures before and after critical incidents occur.
(CNN) — Marcee Gray was 200 miles away from Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, when her gut told her something was not right.
It was Wednesday morning – before the shooting at the school that killed two students and two teachers. She had just received a text message from her 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, saying, “I’m sorry, mom.”
She called the school and asked administrators to check on him.
She recounted her conversation with a school counselor in an interview with ABC News. “The counselor said, ‘Well, I wanted to let you know that earlier this morning one of Colt’s teachers had sent me an email that said Colt had been making references to school shootings,’” Marcee Gray said.
“I told them it was an extreme emergency and for them to go immediately and find Colt to check on him,” Marcee Gray later said in a text message to her sister. “I don’t understand what took them so long.”
CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Authorities say an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old are accused of making threats to several schools in our area. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said more than 40 schools in North Carolina received the threats after they were repeatedly shared on social media.
Investigators believe the two wanted to avoid going to school.
On Tuesday morning, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that they were made aware of a photo circulating social media of someone holding a gun and making threats toward schools.
In Kentucky, the Supreme Court of Kentucky upheld the dismissal of a school resource officer who underperformed on the job, allowing the police department to act decisively in removing the officer. The tenure of the officer on campus included two incidents. “He was involved in an altercation with a 13-year-old student…during which he struck (the student) in the face. He subsequently arrested (the student), charging him with two public offenses, but failed to read (the student) his Miranda rights.” And “He was involved in another altercation with a different student…during which he wrapped his arms around (the student) so tightly that (the student) lost consciousness.” The Merit Board, the Circuit Court, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the termination. The SRO argued, among other things, that “the Merit Board wrongly included expunged materials” in its consideration of his appeal despite the officer’s success in getting the criminal charges brought against him dismissed and his criminal record expunged in the records of the “police and other agencies outside of the court system.” The SRO also argued that his rights under the Due Process Clause were violated. The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the termination, rejecting the expungement argument because “information contained in the (employment) file is neither a criminal record nor would it appear on a state-performed background check, (and therefore) is not subject to the expungement order.” As to due process, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that although, “there are significant interests to both the individual and the public that are at stake in deciding how much process is due a terminated police officer in front of the Merit Board…(G)iven the significant safeguards already provided (in Kentucky law) to officers in matters before the Merit Board, the risk of error is relatively low. As to the power of the Chief to discipline the officer the court held that, “(i)f we were to hold that the Chief could not terminate an employee for a violation of (a department policy) based on a violation of a law until that employee was formally convicted of the underlying offense, we would, in essence, be holding the Chief to a beyond a reasonable doubt standard of proof. Practically speaking, a holding such as that … would also serve to prevent the Chief from finding a violation of (department policy)… until after a conviction, which, as is exemplified by this case, can take years. We refuse to require the Chief to either find a violation beyond a reasonable doubt or wait until a criminal conviction is final to find a violation. Probable cause that an employee has violated a law is sufficient to sustain a finding by the Chief of a violation of (a department policy).” Hardin v. Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Government
In Arizona, Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne has extended the Department of Education’s agreement with the entity, Off Duty Management, “to make sure students, educators and staff are protected by armed and uniformed School Safety Officers.” Off Duty Management “was founded by former law enforcement officers (and) works directly with local law enforcement agencies and school districts to fill vacant School Safety Officer positions.”
Nationally, school cell phone bans are being discussed in different ways after the Georgia shooting. “The Georgia school shooting that left four dead and nine injured last week was every parent’s worst nightmare, and one that highlights potential downsides to efforts among states, school districts and federal lawmakers to ban or restrict access to cellphones in classrooms.”
In Tennessee, educators are becoming more rigorous in their response to students “making a threat against a school... Lawmakers and district officials said they hoped the significant punishments deter students from making those threats, which have to be treated as real even if there's no plan or intent behind them.”
Registration Now Open: 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security
Sept. 25-26, 2024, noon-3 p.m. daily | Virtual
You are invited to join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Sept. 25 and 26 for the 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security. This virtual event brings together K-12 school leaders and practitioners to discuss and share actionable recommendations that enhance safe and supportive learning environments.
Registration is now open for the 2024 Summit. This year’s event will feature panel discussions, sessions and keynote speakers covering violence prevention, emergency planning, youth online safety, student mental wellness, K-12 cybersecurity, and student interventions and support. These sessions are designed to foster a nationwide dialogue on some of the most critical school safety issues, as well as equip school stakeholders and personnel with resources, training and best practices to apply in their local K-12 communities.
Registration is required and there is no cost to attend.
This symposium goes beyond a typical conference; it's an immersive learning experience that brings together individuals from across the country who are passionate about keeping their schools and communities safe.
Don't miss two days of inspiring keynotes, training on the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM), and ample opportunities for networking with foundation staff and peers in the school and community safety space. This is an amazing chance to gain actionable insights into enhancing the safety of your organization and those in it.
