Fort Worth ISD official asks parents to monitor social media for school threats

Editor's Note: Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner is asking the public to help monitor social media threats targeting the schools. He sent this letter to parents of district school children Friday.

Dear FWISD Parent or Guardian,

It is very unfortunate that this letter must be written but I need your help with an ever-increasing threat to the safety and security of our schools.

As you know, there have been too many actual school shootings in recent times. Just taken alone, those events are tragic, heart-breaking, and for many, result in life-long psychological or physical trauma.

As a school community we are now faced with a different and even more alarming threat which could just as easily result in injury, continued psychological impact, or even death. Those threats are the online prank threats that are flooding social media. These phony messages are, more times than not, sent by students of all ages who think it’s funny for police to arrive at their campus, or for the school to be placed in lockdown.

Let me assure you, all threats are taken seriously by our local police until proven otherwise. Such pranks divert police and resource from legitimate emergencies where someone may really need help.

Once notified of a potential threat, police have the capability to quickly go to work locating the origin of the message. Their protocol will include visiting that person’s residence. They will confer with the parents, guardians or other adults at the residence and they will interview the student. Additionally, police may request a “consent to search” to assess the threat level and identify any access to weapons. These visits can occur day or night, weekday or weekend.

Prank messages that threaten the safety and security of public facilities, such as schools, whether posted on social media, or written on a restroom wall, are crimes. Students who further distribute prank messages may also be culpable of furthering the prank.

Parents, you can assist the Fort Worth ISD, our local police, and perhaps even your own child by discussing this important message within your family. This matter has become such a problem that it is not out of line to suggest you be well aware of your child’s social media contacts and conversations.

Students who become aware of any threat to a school or person should immediately:

⦁ Tell a responsible adult- you (the parent), a police officer, a teacher, a school administrator

⦁ Never repost the threat to social media or other online platforms.

⦁ Understand that ALL threats are real and time is of the essence until investigations determine the legitimacy of the threat.

Parents, please, let us all work together to stop these senseless acts that are stealing precious time away from our children. ALL our children must be provided safe and secure learning environments if they are to succeed in college, career and community leadership.

Sincerely,

Kent Scribner

This story was originally published March 9, 2018 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Fort Worth ISD official asks parents to monitor social media for school threats."