All rights reserved. Bill Pan is a reporter for The Epoch Times. The Batavia Schools superintendent said he could not comment on the matter since it was under investigation by police. Their dependence on technology sounds familiar to most of us. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. We continue to proactively communicate with the Jamestown Police Department as we both monitor this rumor. The social media threat was directed at schools nationwide, including Bedford County schools in Tennesee, and Central Ohio, among others. "I demand you publicly retract this lie and apologize to Mr. Moore," Mullins wrote. A lot has changed for students over the last few years. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Mullins said Ryan Moore, one of the defendants mentioned in his lawsuit, is "not the Dean of Students" at Oxford High. "I thought about how many times people have had warnings and given warnings out, and even though they had those warnings, bad things still happened.However, Sim's wife, who works at Volcano Vista High School the target of the threat decided to go. "However, school officials have to take these threats seriously. In May, the U.S. surgeon general warned that social media use is a main contributor to . I think you always have to respond with the utmost caution, explained Dr. Steven MacMartin, associate professor, Homeland Security program, Medaille College. A stock photo of social media platform icons in a mobile device. We want to assure parents and students that there is no credible threat to Jamestown, or to our knowledge, any New York state school districts, JPS said. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger says its time we hold people responsible following the tragedy at Oxford High School in an exclusive interview on The Story.. Lockport City Schoolswere closed Thursday because of social media threats. I WISHT I WOULD ALWAYS BE THAT WAY. Albuquerque Public Schools officials say they have received 50 similar threats this school year alone. Making the decision to cancel classes tomorrow has not been an easy one, Principal Greg Kapaku said in a message to parents. Updated: 5:53 PM PDT March 31, 2023. Virginias Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been looking to spend $200,000 to contract software providers that could help monitor social media threats and hate speech targeting the school district, according to documents unveiled by a parent group. "And now we're telling them also, you can't even feel safe here anymore.". An array ofcopycat threats to other schools have already resulted in dozens of student arrests. The threats, in addition to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased anxiety among parents, students and educators, he said. Klinger agreed that schools should do more in preparing for threats after about a two-year hiatus. Their daily lives, like all of us, were disrupted. "My wife actually told me that she wanted to be there teaching today just so she could help her students and protect them, Sims said.RELATED: APS superintendent sends message about school violenceParents and teachers across the city are being forced to make similar decisions. Schools react to social media threats - WKBW All rights reserved. WE ARE NOW LIKE EVERY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT IN AMERICA, FACED WITH THE REALITY THAT KIDS HAVE SOCIAL MEA.DI >> MONICA ARMENTA, WITH APS, SAYS EVERY TIME THERE IS A THATRE, POLICE IESNVTIGATE AND THEY SEND MORE OFFICERS AND GUARDS TO THE SCHOOL. Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. In the fall, students across the U.S. werearrested after participating in the"devious licks"trend, which involvedstealing or vandalizing school property. (Oakland County Sheriff's Office). Senator from Connecticut. Schools face new wave of violent threats sent by social media and other electronic means, study says Bomb threats sent by Facebook. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Schools Sue Social-Media Platforms Over Alleged Harms to Students The role that social media has played in the declining mental health of teens also gives us a preview of what is coming for adults, with the quickening deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning in our own lives. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Social media companies know that content that generates negative feelings holds our attention longer than that which makes us feel good. The district says while they are continuing to investigate the incident, the threat made against the school did "not appear to be credible.". But there was one provision of the bill that was particularly alarming to this group of students: a prohibition on social media companies using the data (what they watch and swipe on) they collect on kids to build and fuel algorithms that spoon-feed individualized content back to users. If you are a teenager feeling bad about yourself, your social media feed will typically keep delivering you videos and pictures that are likely to exacerbate negative feelings. Schenectady police have reported that the source of a threat was identified as a local juvenile. And in northern California,Gilroy police said they had found threats on social media not to be credible, but school officials at Gilroy High School postponed final exams scheduled for Friday to January. We are now like every other school district in America, faced with the reality that kids have social media.. Meanwhile, afew students in California,Floridaand Texaswerearrested earlier this week for allegedly making threats and bringing weapons to school, according to local media reports, but officials have not saidthose arrests are connected to the reported TikTok threats. So many of us can barely remember when we didnt have Amazon to fall back on when we needed a last-minute gift or when we waited by the radio for our favorite songs to play. (Scott Olson/Getty Images), Thorne apparently "warned the students, via loudspeaker, to stop spreading information over social media and to stop relying on information on social media, reiterating that there were no threats that posed any danger to students at Oxford High School.". IN ALBUQUERQUE ALONE, THAT HAS HAPPENED FIFTY TIMES THIS SCOLHO YEAR. 0:00. Schools and a number of businesses closed in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, as the nation's main opposition resumed protests over the rising cost of . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Nationwide school threat hoax prompts BPS to issue statement A key to that partnership is open communication. But it did state during the course of the investigation it was, however, determined that certain communications made over social media did alarm and annoy another person.. RELATED: Police give updates on shooting incident near Sandia High School, "Safety is our number one priority, Armenta said. Mary Ellen O'Toole, a former FBI profiler, said the burst of threats is typical about two weeks after a high-profile shooting, like the Michigan high school attack. "It's just scary to feel like there's nowhere where you can leave your kids," said Trisha Masterson, a mother of five from Wauconda, Illinois. Why should students put in the effort to find a song or a poem they like when an algorithm will do it for them? The district has been made aware of a national TikTok trend threatening violence at every school in America on Friday, December 17, 2021, a Thursday afternoon Facebook post explained. Batavia Police vehicles are parked outside the high school. This spring, I visited with a group of high school students in suburban Connecticut to have a conversation about the role that social media plays in their daily lives and in their mental health. Some U.S. Schools Close After Shooting Rumors on Social Media Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com. Social media threats, increased police, and active shooter drills are on the rise and are all too common. BATAVIA, NY (WKBW) School leaders in several area districts taking extra precautions following threats of potential violence made on social media. "They're already more anxious because of how much their learning experience has changed during the pandemic," she told USA TODAY. Plaintiffs' lawyers are . "People who are old enough may remember back in the day when kids pulled the fire alarm or called in a bomb threat, said Albuquerque Public Schools spokeswoman Monica Armenta. Tennessee high school student suspended for Instagram memes files suit SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. East Valley School District (EVSD) campuses were closed Friday as the district investigated threats made on social media. 1 Violent social media threats close a school almost every day. Karoun Demirjian, a congressional correspondent for The Times, explains . Regardless of whether the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act becomes law, we should get to work on a broader dialogue, with adults and kids from all walks of life, to determine if we will really be happier as a species when machines and algorithms do all the work for us, or if fulfillment only comes when humans actually do the work, like searching and discovering, of being human. Twitter X logo: Elon Musk rebrands social media platform - CNN The four students who died in the shooting are 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 15-year-old Justin Shilling. Virginia School District Sought to Spend $200,000 to Monitor Social Media Threats, Hate Speech. Today, machines help us find a song we like. Market data provided by Factset. - A circulating post threatening a school shooting against several Central Florida schools, including Lake Mary High School, has been deemed non-credible, according to officials. >> IT SAID IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. District officials planned to send out a blast call Thursday with information to students and staff. We don't have a handle on it. A retreat from the rituals of discovery comes with a cost. Nearly 200 school districts so far have joined the litigation against the parent companies of Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. Social Media School Threats | Social Media Victims Law Center These kids may think they need the algorithm, but the algorithm is actually making many of them feel worse. "I think people need to be more proactive, Sims said. Gift Article. Legal Statement. Reddit Publishes New Guide to Back-to-School Marketing in the App. Several Oklahoma City metro area school districts respond to threat Hoax Shooting Threats Rattle New York Schools. Metro school districts aware of school threat circulating on social It could not be immediately determined if the Schenectady youth was the source of the threat that spread to schools in other areas. JPS is dedicated to maintaining a strong partnership with parents. Legal Statement. Plus, students behind such threats could feel emboldened if schools shutter each time they make a public threat. A school district in southern California has decided to adopt the state's new social studies book and curriculum after previously rejecting it for its reference to LGBTQ+ figures in history . Ukraine war latest: Putin has 'almost abandoned' idea of winning 4:16. Warren school officials say that TikTok has since removed the video. Updated: Dec 18, 2021 / 12:04 AM EST NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) - Law enforcement and schools are on high alert amid an apparent TikTok trend threatening violence nationwide on Friday. More threats circulating on social media forced the Allegany Limestone Central School Districtto hold classes remotely Friday. School districts at Jamestown and Warren County issued statements regarding the threats. Viewpoints: Responding to social media threats of school violence 50 social media threats have been made to Albuquerque schools this year However, school officials have to take these threats seriously. Along with Chautauqua Countys largest union, county lawmakers will be voting on a contract with a second union. "I often encourage parents to have candid conversations.". Michigan school shooting suspect posted direct threat on social media The district didnt further define those concepts. The reasons behind the TikTok trend and threats could be multifaceted, said Dr. Amy Klinger, a co-founderthe Educator's School Safety Network an organization dedicated to both tracking school threats and trainingschools how to handle them. >> SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. Officials with the STAR unit said they do not believe the teens had access to firearms, adding they believe they were using stock images in the posts. Students and parents were on edge Friday after a social media post started to circulate threatening a school shooting. School districts across the country on Thursday addressed reported threats originating on the social media app TikTok regarding generalized threats to occur Friday. "It's something that we've seen for the last 20 years," she said of copycat threats. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But the letter stated that police indicated it was safe for students to attend school Friday. In July 2019, a gunman opened fire atthe Gilroy Garlic Festival and killed three people. School shooting threat circulating in Central Florida - ClickOrlando 14-year-olds Alex Moraguez and Denis Herrera have been charged with a 2nd-degree pic.twitter.com/LejjjG97GE. JPS is dedicated to maintaining a strong partnership with parents. In a radical rebranding, Twitter owner Elon Musk has begun the process of replacing Twitter's iconic bird logo with X. Musk made the shock announcement of . School districts at Jamestown and Warren County issued statements regarding the threats. Police say. REPOER:RT AS FOR SIMMS, HE WILL ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. In a now-closed request for proposal,or RFP, dated Nov. 30, 2021, the FCPS said it was willing to award a total of $200,000 to contractors for software that would allow the school districts office of safety and security to expand its social media research program., According to the documents, which were first obtained and publicized by Parents Defending Education (PDE), the request for proposal is a part of the districts effort to detect [and] help deter any negative actions or consequences coming from social media which may be directed to racial groups or any student or teacher within FCPS.. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. 3 Police investigating social media threat made to Frisco High School. By taking steps to separate young people from their social media dependency and forcing them to engage in real exploration to find connection and fulfillment, we can recreate the lost rituals of adolescence that, for centuries, have made us who we are. @BataviaCSD_News are closed today after receiving threats of violence. What we find are videos discussing this rumor and warning others to stay safe," the statement posted to Twitter said. The seminar aims to train and inform on best practices for school safety and violence prevention after the pandemic, along with warning signs and intervention tactics for students who might need help readjusting to the classroom afterwards. Are these traceable?" Ethan Crumbley, 15, allegedly shot and killed four students and injured seven others at Oxford High School. Kenya Protest Threat Shuts Schools, Businesses in Nairobi, Mombasa Kids today are, simply put, not learning how to be curious, critical adults and they dont seem to know what theyve lost. Its the same reason local news leads with the shooting or the house fire, not the local food drive. Plaintiffs allege that Principal Steven Wolf and Superintendent Tim Thorne made "the student victims less safe" before Crumbley, 15, brought a weapon to school and opened fire on his classmates. I wanted to speak candidly about how social media helps and hurts mental health. In the now-rescinded letter, the NSBA also urged the federal government to invoke counterterrorism laws to quell angry mobs of parents seeking to hold school officials accountable for teaching their children quasi-Marxist critical race theory and for imposing COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates. ", TikTok said in a statementit handleseven rumored threats with utmost seriousness. Other. The memo remains in effect, despite the NSBA having since apologized for the languages used in the letter. A tactic using social media sites to direct threats at individual students has unsettled schools in New York City and around the country. Batavia City Police cars were parked in front of the high school. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. But we are aware that thankfully, the vast majority of these threats turn out to be nothing more than bad behavior.RELATED: Witness says victim in Washington Middle School shooting was defending friends when he was shotAs for Sims, he will always error on the side of caution. SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS HAVE TAKEN THE PLACE OF THAT SORT OF BEHAVIOR. Attorney Timothy Mullins responded to Franz's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, on Thursday afternoon. Phil MurphytweetedThursdaythere were "no known specific threats" against schools. We did reach out to the New York State Police in the Western New York region, but a spokesman tells me their cyber crime unit is not involved in any of these school threat investigations right now and he says they're all being investigated by local police agencies. CBS Los Angeles reports that the L.A. Unified School District, the nation's second-largest, said it's safe to send kids to school Friday but it takes all threats very seriously. Schools in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York and Pennsylvania increased their police presence Friday due to the allegedthreats while schools in California, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas closed for the day. The sheriffs office arrested a 15-year-old student. Most recent threat was today at Volcano Vista. Albuquerque Public Schools officials say they have received 50 similar threats this school year alone. PUBLISHED 9:45 AM ET May 16, 2023. Still, it had some parents . I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE HAVE HAD WARNINGS AND GIVEN WARNINGS OUT, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THOSE WARNINGS, BAD THINGS STILL HAPPED.NE REPORTER: BUT SIMMS WIFE, WHO WORKS AT VOLCANO VISTA HIGH SCHOOL, THE TARGET OF THE THREAT, DECIDED TO GO. There are numerous problems with children and adolescents using social media, from mental health deterioration to dangerous and age-inappropriate content and the lackluster efforts tech companies employ to enforce their own age verification rules. SUBSCRIBE: $1 for 3 months. Trump also said schools need to be proactive by creating threat assessment teams, training and protocols, and a crisis communication plan to quickly disseminate information to parents before an incident occurs. TikTok school threat: Districts cancel class, increase security - USA TODAY That's a double-edged sword, Klinger noted. Two middle school students have been arrested for posting violent, targeted threats on their social media accounts. LIKE THIS ONLAE ST WEEK IN MICHIGAN. Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. On Thursday night, deputies were made aware of a possible . As a precaution, students and staff may see an increased law enforcement presence on school property tomorrow.. >> WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF IGNORING ANYTHG.IN BUT WE ARE AWARE THAT THANKFULLY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE RETHATS TURN OUT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN BAD BEHAVIOR. According to . We are now like every other school district in America, faced with the reality that kids have social media.Armenta says every time there is a threat, police investigate, and they send more officers and guards to the school.We do not have the luxury of ignoring anything, Armenta said. More disruptive behavior, failing grades, outbursts. School shooting threats sent through international proxy servers. "People who . ", People attend a vigil downtown to honor those killed and wounded during the recent shooting at Oxford High School on Dec. 3, 2021, in Oxford, Michigan. The district has been made aware of a national TikTok trend threatening violence at every school in America on Friday, December 17, 2021, a Thursday afternoon Facebook post explained. Today, information, entertainment and connection are delivered to us on a conveyor belt, with less effort and exploration required of us than ever before. other schools have already resulted in dozens of student arrests. Educators announced plans to increase security in response to TikTok posts warning of shooting and bomb threats at schools around the country Friday . Lamar High School threat: HISD campus and 2 schools in Lamar "Alot of times kids will have good intentions," he said. California school board adopts LGBTQ+ curriculum after Newsom's $1.5m "It's really problematic and schools are in a tough position.". Whether done as a joke or with malicious intent, its unacceptable," said officials with the Iowa State Education Association, the Iowa Association of School Boards and School Administrators of Iowa in a joint statement. >> PEOPLE WHO ARE OLD ENOU MAYGH REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY WHEN KIDS PULLED THE FIRE ALARM OR CALLED IN A BOMB THREAT. A wave of school-shooting threats circulating on TikTok and other social media prompted some U.S. schools to close Friday and others to bolster their police presence. Police departments and law enforcement are learning to triage these things, MacMartin noted. Students' addiction to social media apps is costing school districts valuable time and resources, teachers and administrators say. "I thought about how many times people have had warnings and given warnings out, and even though they had those warnings, bad things still happened.. In a Nov. 16 email to parents, Wolf wrote, "I know I'm being redundant here, but there is absolutely no threat at the HSlarge assumptions were made from a few social media posts, then the assumptions evolved into exaggerated rumors," according to the lawsuit. To that end, JPS will always communicate directly with parents in the case of any rumors we hear that may affect our district.. The bill is a comprehensive attempt to protect young people on social media, prioritizing stronger age verification practices and placing a ban on children under 13 using social media altogether. These high school students had become reliant, maybe even dependent, on social media companies algorithms. The . It said, if I were you, I would not come to school tomorrow,' Sims said. Our understanding is that the original video called for students to skip school on the 17th and, at some point, it was changed to a school shooting threat.. When a threat is unfounded, he recommended schools stay open underheightened security and supervision. >> I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO BE MORE PROACTIVE. Read more:What we know about TikTok's response. UTAH (ABC4) - Police have a person in custody in connection to a threat made against Matheson Junior High School, a Granite School District spokesperson confirms. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Virginia's Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been looking to spend $200,000 to contract software providers that could help monitor "social media threats" and "hate speech . Timothy Sims decided not to send his kids to school today when he saw a post on social media. Posts on the social media platform TikTok indicated that . Remote learning could be spurring some of these behaviors and defaulting back to that could just worsen the issue. This includes personalizing content and advertising. The social media threats that we are seeing, that we're hearing about yeah, absolutely traceable, replied MacMartin. But the school remained open with more police on the scene. A threat also was received against Oneida Middle School, but Carpenter said that school is in the Schenectady school district. ", The Snapchat posts were made between May 11 and May 13 and contained pictures of guns with imposed messages threatening violence at Bloomingdale High School. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The widely-criticized memo directs federal law enforcement agents to help address an alleged disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against teachers and school leaders. Published July 19, 2023. Jan 1, 2022. 0. On Thursday, Masterson started getting emails from her children's schools. None of it was original content. OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS CREDIT DOOR LOCK COMPANY FOR SAVING LIVES FROM SCHOOL SHOOTER, Crumbley allegedly posted this statement to his Twitter account on the night before the shooting, according to the lawsuit: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. Although his account was private at the time, he put the quote in his profile biography, which is available for the public to see. According to an advisory issued by the surgeon general this year, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. A report by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate found that users could be served content related to suicide less than three minutes after downloading TikTok.