Students who post or share a school threat, even as a prank, should know the consequences

In the wake of a mass shooting at a Georgia school on Sept. 5, eight Stanislaus County students have been detained in an outbreak of threatened school attacks locally and across the nation.

Modesto High School was the target of a bomb threat, and campuses in other communities in the county were threatened with shootings. What the alleged student perpetrators may not realize is they may be kicked out of their schools, even their school districts, and potentially struggle to find another local district that would accept their transfer.

If Modesto City Schools’ teachers, administrators or staff hear about a school threat, law enforcement is immediately contacted to investigate the severity and credibility of the threat.

“Depending on the outcome of the investigation, students may face disciplinary actions, including suspension or a recommendation for expulsion, under district policy and state law,” said Linda Mumma Solorio, public information officer at Modesto City Schools. “Each case is evaluated individually to ensure appropriate consequences are applied.”

A student expelled for making threats is not permitted to attend any school within the Modesto City Schools district, including Elliott Alternative Education Center. This will require a student’s family to explore options outside of Modesto City Schools.

When a student attempts to transfer to another district, the new district will request the student’s file, which includes disciplinary history and expulsion at MCS. The transfers also require forms to inquire about recent expulsions for transparency to ensure any significant threats are known and considered by the receiving districts.

According to a Stanislaus County Office of Education document, some options for students include Stanislaus Military Academy/Tactical Character Academy, Petersen Alternative Center for Education at John B Allard School in Ceres, or Stanislaus Alternative Charter Schools.

Making a threat is never considered a joke

Solorio said MCS’ investigations over the past few weeks revealed that students who made or reposted threats did not intend to carry them out, but many of the students involved received “severe” disciplinary consequences. Some also received visits from local law enforcement as well.

“Making a threat against someone or a school, even if it’s meant as a ‘joke,’ will be taken seriously and investigated,” she said. “The consequences, which can include expulsion and arrest, can be severe.”

Since the bombing threat in September, Modesto City Schools launched the “ Report, Don’t Repost ” campaign. The campaign was established to encourage students to not repost any school threat they come across on social media but instead to reach out to a trusted adult or school official.

Darnell Calvin, a student at Davis High School, said the Modesto bomb threats affected him that day.

“My thoughts on the school threats have been pretty all over the place,” he said. “It does make me a bit nervous that someone would even think about activating on something like that, but I trust Modesto City Schools to take care of the situation so I’m not too nervous.”