They have all been unfounded, but multiple threats made on social media since the start of the school year have wreaked havoc on time and resources in Chambersburg Area School District.
"The amount of time, energy and effort, the State Police, the local police, our police and our people are spending chasing down threats that are not credible, copycats, replications from other states, from other places, is getting to the point of frustration," Superintendent Chris Bigger said at the Tuesday, Sept. 24, school board meeting, as part of a longer statement about the issue.
Just over a month into the school year, CASD has had "three different types of social media threats that occurred over a period of three days," none of which were found to be credible, district spokesperson Brian Miller told the Public Opinion.
The district recently notified the community of a threat reported on Sept. 10 via the Safe to Say platform. It took district police and State Police about four hours to determine it carried no actual risk.
Across the nation, threats of violence tend to hit schools in waves set off by headline-grabbing school shootings, USA TODAY reported . In Florida alone, 13 students were arrested in the span of a few days earlier this month for making threats after a 14-year-old armed with an AR-style weapon killed two classmates and two teachers at a Georgia high school.
One of the threats investigated in CASD in recent weeks resulted in a student being criminally charged, Miller said. In an update about the Sept. 10 threat, the district took a hardline against those making threats: "We will file charges and exclude students from school who weaponize social media and cause such disruptions or incite fear."
Parents should talk to kids about impact of words
In his statement Tuesday, Bigger asked parents and caregivers to talk with students about how their words, no matter where they speak or type them, can have serious consequences.
"A threat made as a joke in passing or a comment can result in significantly altering the student's life," he said. "As we continue to do everything in our power to keep students and staff safe, we ask you to engage in tough conversations with your children."
Since officially taking over as superintendent last November, Bigger has frequently expressed support for limits on screen time and restricting social media use for minors. He encouraged parents to take a proactive approach to help students be more responsible citizens online and in real life.
"One, no student under the age of 13 should be on social media. I will continue and we will continue to advocate for legislation to raise that age to 16 or older even," he said. "Secondly, monitor the social media activity of your children. And third, limit the content through settings on the app and limit overall screen time on devices to one hour for elementary, two hours for middle school and three hours for high school."
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CASD, police to share more about threats
CASD will use multiple outlets to notify families and the community at large of any credible threat, Bigger wrote in the post about the threat on Sept. 10. In his statement before the school board, he noted the district is working with local police agencies to develop a formal statement about threats.
"We will communicate more of the formalities of when we communicate a threat, how we communicate a threat and under what circumstances, but I do ask the community for your patience," he said. "We only get further if we do it together."
Report threats or other concerning posts or statements at safe2saypa.org or call 1-844-SAF2SAY.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: As CASD struggles with weight of social media threats, supt. asks parents to talk to kids
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