By Traci Chapman
Managing Editor
A student who reported an online threat made to Piedmont High School is being credited with thwarting a potential dangerous situation.
That student alerted Piedmont school administrators Sunday of an online posting showing a masked individual saying he planned to carry out an alleged attack at the high school Monday. School officials and officers with Piedmont Police Department quickly ascertained the identity of the person who made those threats – a 14-year-old student at the school, Chief Singer said Tuesday.
That student alerted Piedmont school administrators Sunday of an online posting showing a masked individual saying he planned to carry out an alleged attack at the high school Monday. School officials and officers with Piedmont Police Department quickly ascertained the identity of the person who made those threats – a 14-year-old student at the school, Chief Singer said Tuesday.
Security was increased at the high school Monday out of an abundance of caution, officials said.
“We have stated before that our students are the most important first responders of school safety, as they are the eyes and ears of what is happening before, during, and after school,” Piedmont Schools Superintendent Dr. James White said. “We are proud of this student and others for coming forward with information that could have impacted the safety of our student body and staff at Piedmont High School.
“As always, we cannot express enough the importance of reporting concerning comments, posts and activities – very report is investigated promptly and thoroughly,” he said.
The student who allegedly made the threat and his mother – who were both cooperative with authorities, Chief Singer said – were interviewed; the 14-year- old was initially detained, then released to his mother’s custody.
No weapons or items referred to in the video were found, the chief said.
Subsequent additional information about the threat, reportedly described by the student as a “kind of threat” later prompted Piedmont police to once again speak to the youth, who was then detained again. It was unclear as of press time whether the 14-year-old remained in detention.
“We have sent all of the information and referred the matter to the District Attorney’s office and juvenile judge,” Singer said.
The incident, while concerning for everyone involved, did highlight the preparations undertaken by Piedmont Public Schools and the strength of the partnership between the district and Piedmont Police Department, the chief said.
“This was handled extremely well by the school district – and the resources they have in place are impressive,” Singer said. “It’s also very important to acknowledge that a student reported this after seeing it – because of that reporting and the immediate action after that report, something that had the potential to be dangerous was averted.
“While we didn’t find any devices or weapons that doesn’t mean this student couldn’t or wouldn’t have been able to carry out the threat – and we’re just not going to take a chance that something like that could happen,” the chief said.
Piedmont Schools have been very proactive in dealing with bullying and other issues – including threats to students, staff or school sites. In addition to resources offered to students, families and the community, the district this year hired an additional school resource officer and administrators hold regular meetings with law enforcement to best deal with threats and potential situations that might arise.
The district’s efforts include the “STOPit” app, a mobile platform that allows students and others to anonymously report school safety issues.
“Students can reach out for help if they or a peer are facing a personal crisis or experiencing situations such as bullying, theft, mental health concerns, violence, sexual harassment, substance abuse or any other student safety concern,” Piedmont Schools stated on its website. ‘Students are the most important first responders of school safety, as they are the eyes and ears of what is happening before, during, and after school – Offering this communication tool enhances school safety and gives Wildcats a voice when it may be difficult to speak up.”
The STOPit app is available on the Piedmont School District’s website at https://www.piedmontschools.org/students-parents/student-services/bully-prevention-and-reporting; that page also provides other resources concerning bullying and other issues. The STOPit app can also be downloaded through the designer’s website, located at https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/login.
For questions regarding the STOPit app, please contact Piedmont Assistant Superintendent Lisa Campbell at lisa.campbell@piedmontschools.org.
