Images containing vague threats against schools have been circulating online across the Commonwealth this week. Locally, Daviess County Public Schools said there has been only one specific mention of a school in their district but the post was deemed not credible. Owensboro Public Schools said there has been no reference to any school in their district.
Daviess County Public Schools
DCPS officials issued a statement just before 9 a.m. Friday. It reads:
Over the last couple of days, school districts across the Commonwealth have been dealing with safety threats made on social media platforms, specifically Snapchat. Daviess County Public Schools at this time has only investigated one instance that mentioned one of our buildings. This was an unsubstantiated and not credible post. It is believed that the nature of this post was an attempt to disrupt the school day.
Daviess County Public Schools works closely with the Kentucky Center for School Safety and the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security if/when there are potential threats in our schools. We take all threats seriously and encourage parents to speak to their children about the severity and seriousness of these actions. DCPS believes that there is nothing more important than the safety of our children.
We recommend all parents and guardians speak with your child about the importance of online safety and the consequences that can arise from sharing posts that are threatening in nature. All parents and students are encouraged to utilize our anonymous Tipline to report harassment, violence, or unsafe behavior.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we do our best everyday to work Together for Kids.
Owensboro Public Schools
OPS issued a statement late Thursday evening that reads, in part:
The priority of our district safety team is the safety and security of our students and staff and keeping our families informed on matters of school safety.
Over the last two days, images shared through Snapchat have been circulating across the state and this evening have made their way into our community that have caused concern.
We want to assure you that those images make no reference to any of the schools in our district and did not originate in our community.
Owensboro and State Police, in partnership with the KY Center for School Safety are investigating the case, but at this time, there is no cause for alarm in any of our buildings.
Once again, we encourage our parents and guardians to speak with your child about the importance of online safety, make them aware of the consequences of sharing images that could be considered threatening, and perhaps consider removing apps like Snapchat and other dangerous social media platforms from their phones. Stay vigilant and if you see something, say something. Please contact your school or Central Office at 270-686-1000 if you are made aware of a potential threat to our schools.
Owensboro Police Department
OPD first released a statement about potential threats on Wednesday morning, saying “they were aware that threats are circulating through social media sites related to potential violence including school violence.”
The statement continued to say, “We’ve received information that similar threats are being investigated across the state in multiple jurisdictions. We take any and all threats seriously and our detectives are actively investigating. The Owensboro Police Department is also communicating with the FBI who are assisting in this investigation,” the statement read.
At the time, the original statement was unclear on if there had been any threats made locally.
OPD updated their post early Wednesday afternoon to read:
Today at approximately 8:30 AM the Owensboro Police Department received information from the Owensboro FBI Field Office that a vague threat of violence had been made against the Owensboro community. No school or specific location was named in the threat. Patrol officers and detectives are working to identify where the threat originated. Unverified rumors indicate that Owensboro High School was potentially threatened, however detectives have been unable to confirm a direct threat was made against OHS. Investigators have determined that multiple hoax type threats have taken place across the state in the past 24 hours including bomb threats, school shooter threats, and active shooter situations. Additionally, investigators have received unverified information that similar threats have been reported and directed toward multiple locations in other areas of the United States over the past 24 hours. These other social media threats are very similar to the threat OPD received. As always, the Owensboro Police Department encourages our citizens to stay vigilant and if you have additional information please call the admin line at (270) 687-8888 or Crimestoppers at (270) 687-8484. This investigation is ongoing.
Kentucky State Police
KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr., said: “Kentucky State Police will continue to work with school resource officers, local law enforcement and school administrators to ensure the safety of all students. As a trooper and a father who has children in our school system, I can assure you that we will take any threat seriously and make arrests where possible.”
Kentucky Department of Education
KDE Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said: “There is no greater trust – or responsibility – that can be given to our schools than a parent or guardian saying he or she trusts us with his or her child. While we are concerned about the amount of time our students are missing due to these hoaxes, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of the students and staff members that are in our schools every day across Kentucky. We ask our families to talk with their students about the very real and serious consequences that can happen if they call in a threat against another student or their school. A threat like this can result in a student facing suspension, expulsion and/or alternative placements, in addition to the consequences from our justice system.” –
Kentucky Revised Statute 508 states threats of violence directed toward a school are first-degree terroristic threatening, which is a Class C Felony, a crime that can carry a punishment of up to 5 to 10 years in prison.
