School officials say report, don’t repost threats after hoax causes alarm

SALT LAKE CITY —  Canyon School District officials are asking people to report, not repost threats of school violence after threats today spread on social media were unfounded.

District spokesman Jeff Haney said someone posted the threat last night. Since then, it has spread like wildfire, alarming students and parents.  After further investigation, police and the district realized it was a hoax and one that’s been spreading around the country.

“This did not originate here. If you see what they reported on in Pennsylvania, you’ll see it’s literally word for word what’s being circulated here,” said Haney.

Haney said there is no danger locally but it is still affecting students, many of whom chose not to go to school today. The same threat delayed school start times in Altoona, Pennsylvania last week. 

The threats prompted the district to send an email to parents this morning that read in part:

To err on the side of caution and give peace of mind to students, teachers, and parents, police departments serving Canyons communities have been notified of the posts, and schools this week will have administrators and staff visible in the hallways to provide additional oversight. 

Report, don’t repost

One of the biggest issues said Haney, is people reposting unfounded threats creating fear and alarm in the community.

“And that’s why we want students to stop and think. We want them to report and not repost,” said Haney. 

According to Haney, threats should be reported to the police or safeut.org and not on a social media feed. He said dealing with these unfounded threats causes a lot of problems.

“It really does take away from the time that we have to be with students and engage them in learning. It also raises a lot of worries and concern in our community.”

Britt Johnson is a reporter and anchor for KSL NewsRadio.  

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