Nearly 20 threats to Rutherford County Schools over two week span

RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) has investigated more than a dozen threats, resulting in the arrests of two juveniles.

“In the past two weeks, we’ve experienced nearly 20 verbal and social media threats that have targeted our school…,” Director of Rutherford County Schools (RCS) Jimmy Sullivan said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Some even recorded selfie videos to further spread the rumors, even though they know they have no direct knowledge or proof, and unfortunately, those students had to be disciplined as well.”

RSCO said that two juveniles were arrested for making posts related to threats, including one made at Whitworth Buchannan Middle School last week and Riverdale High School on Monday.

Riverdale parent Matt Fee recalled that his son was on edge while in a portable classroom following school threat rumors both Friday and Monday.

“[The kids] were watching if anybody came to the door, because for them this is a real thing and they’re living with this every day,” Fee added.

RCSO said has encouraged students to “Report it, don’t Repost it!” One Riverdale mom felt that parents also needed to consider that message.

On Thursday, parent Mat Fee planned to speak at the school board meeting to ask members to pass a resolution calling for safe gun laws.

“If they really want to protect children, they should pass a resolution asking for order of protection laws and safe storage laws and send that to our state legislature and say, ‘Look, we need these things,” Fee said.

News 2 asked the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to speak about school threats and their new “Report It, Don’t Repost It” campaign, but they declined to comment.

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