A California school district is fed up with school threats, so they’ve produced PSAs on social media awareness
Sep 18, 2019, 5:37 AM
The Fresno school district has put out ads warning about social media threats of violence against schools.
(CNN) — Local TV in Fresno, California, now features two public service announcements created by the Fresno Unified School District aimed at educating students and parents on social media threats.
The PSAs warn that online threats can result in a student’s suspension, expulsion or even arrest.
The school district has also posted an electronic billboard at one of the local shopping centers that reads, “Social Media Posts are No Joke. Don’t Repost, Report.”
The campaign came after two incidents of social media threats in the state this week.
A student was arrested at Fresno High School Tuesday for making threats against the school. Fresno police said the 16-year-old made the threats on social media, but that investigators did not recover any weapons.
“We take threats like this seriously and they are investigated right away when they’re reported to us, which was the case,” a spokesperson for the Fresno Unified School District told CNN.
In Palm Springs, three 14-year-old students were arrested for making violent threats against Desert Hot Springs High School, the Palm Springs Unified School District said in a press release Monday.
The post was first reported by a staff member from the school district, and two male students and one female were arrested, according to the press release.
Officers took possession of a replica AR-15, in addition to a real revolver and a semi-automatic handgun during the investigation, Assistant City Manager Doria Wilms said in a news conference.
The investigation is ongoing, and the three students have been charged with making terrorist threats, Wilms said. They are in custody at juvenile hall, she added.
Palm Springs Superintendent Dr. Sandra Lyon said the district is “grateful to the staff person who alerted one of our school principals to the social media post, our administrators who immediately reported the post to local police and our law enforcement officials for their immediate and thorough response.
“The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority, and any threats — whether perceived or actual — are taken seriously and responded to immediately.”
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