AUSTIN, Texas — Several school districts in Texas and across the country received vague threats on social media from Wednesday night into Thursday.
One of these threats led to the detention of a sixth grader in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District (CISD).
The threats began late Wednesday, with Llano ISD officials discovering a Snapchat post spreading across the state. Though it caused concern, it was determined not to be a real threat to schools.
Other districts, including Marble Falls ISD, Manor ISD, and Hays CISD, also informed parents of similar threats. Hutto ISD police investigated a student’s threatening post, but it was found to be uncredible.
Student Faces Charges
Hays CISD revealed that a middle school girl was detained for allegedly spreading these threats online. She will face charges in the juvenile justice system for making a false alarm, which is a state jail felony. Investigations continue to see if other students were involved.
Although similar threats have circulated statewide, this one specifically targeted Simon Middle School. The district was alerted by a concerned parent late Wednesday night.
In a letter to parents, Hays CISD stated:
“We live in scary times, especially with the risk of school violence. Some people may think it’s a joke to spread these threats, but it’s not. In fact, it’s a crime.”
The threat was reported using iWatch Texas, a tool that allows people to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Liberty Hill ISD Threat
Liberty Hill ISD was one of six districts in Central Texas that reported threats. Students showed threatening images to a campus officer. The district later found that the “Liberty school” mentioned in the post was actually in Georgia, not Texas.
Liberty Hill ISD Police Chief Chris Rybarski said, “Unfortunately, we have to take every threat seriously until we can prove otherwise.”
The district emphasized that it would hold students accountable for making or spreading threats.
“If a threat is made against our schools, we will prosecute, file charges, and make arrests,” Rybarski stated.
He also advised parents to report any threats their children might show them to both law enforcement and the school immediately.
Expert Insights
Experts say it’s common for these types of threats to occur in waves.
“Texas isn’t the only state dealing with this,” said Mac Hardy from the National Association of School Resource Officers. “These threats often come in bunches.”
While the internet has made it easier for people to create fake threats, law enforcement treats all threats seriously, especially after the recent deadly Georgia high school shooting.
“These are not victimless crimes,” Hardy said. “These are terroristic threats.”