Glastonbury parents concerned after threats at high school

GLASTONBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Glastonbury parents and community members attended town council meeting Tuesday night to share concerns about violent, racial threats made by a high school student online.

“I think it’s important at school that we teach our kids how to overcome mistakes, but it is paramount that they are accountable, that the parents are held accountable and, in my opinion, embarrassment serves as a deterrent,” Jenn Jennings, a parent, said. “It is a phenomenal opportunity to create true fear, and that your comments aren’t OK.”

Police arrested a 16-year-old student for illegally accessing another juvenile’s Discord account and writing posts referencing the KKK and Hitler, and making a bomb threat to the high school. Police added that the suspect also sent death threats through direct message to specific Black students. Police said it was all part of a plot to target the real account holder.

Police said the 16-year-old suspect did not have access to guns or explosives. The suspect faces nine charges, including intimidation based on bias or bigotry and threatening.

In a letter sent to families, Glastonbury Public Schools Superintendent Alan Bookman said the student has been expelled and can’t attend any school events or step onto any school campus in the town.

“There is simply no place for violence, hatred, or racism in our school system,” Bookman said in a statement to News 8. “We have many programs to combat all three. We will continue to search for additional programs to address and prevent such unacceptable behavior.”

Glastonbury High School graduate Heaven Diaz planned to address the town council about why students should be educated more on race and discrimination.

“Ignorance is such a thing that can change so easily if you would just educate yourself,” Diaz, who graduated in 2019, said. “The more you ignore these issues, the more they fester and grow.”

Corrie Betts, the president of the Greater Hartford NAACP, said he has been in touch with the police chief and state leaders to discourage these actions.

“You want a community to feel safe but when you’re hearing bigotry and hate at this extent, it’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said.

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