A fourth Warren County student has been arrested for making a threat of mass violence on Thursday.
In a press release by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, it was revealed that Morrison School Resource Officer Jason Fowler was notified that morning that an eighth-grade student made a threat to the school. The threat was reported by a student to school personnel who then notified Officer Fowler.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, “Officer Fowler immediately identified students who were witnesses, or had information regarding the threat, for the purpose of identifying the student who made the threat. After a complete investigation and consulting with the District Attorney General’s office, the student making the threat was charged.”
The student was heard before Juvenile Court Judge Ryan J. Moore in an emergency hearing on Thursday, and the child was placed into custody with a hearing set for December. Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Jr. said the threat was made verbally.
Director of Schools Grant Swallows expressed in the press release that violent threats or threatening language would not be tolerated, and he praised the work of the Sheriff’s Dept. and the SROs involved. Swallows told the Standard, “I think we’re just dealing with a culture of people thinking they can write or say whatever and there will not be consequences, and we just don’t live in a day or time where that’s possible.”
When asked about what may have sparked the series of threats by students, he said, “I don’t think it’s anything specific in Warren County that's sparked that. It’s a national, or even a global, issue.”
Warren County School recently partnered with Care Solace to provide mental health help to students, staff and families in the school system.
Though the partnership was already in the works before the recent occurrences, it may be happening at the right time. “Ultimately, we are seeing more concern for our students mentally in the last few years coming out of the pandemic,” said Swallows. “Students are seeking and wanting help. It’s just another way we can provide for them and their families.”
The clinical director at Volunteer Behavioral Health, Beth Walser, said, “A lot of times it’s to cause a disturbance or disruption, a lot of times there’s not an actual threat.” She said a student could be trying to get back at the school for being bullied or just connecting to their school.
“Always take a threat seriously,” Walser said, “but many of them don’t have the means to carry out the threat.” She said that these threats could be a cry for help but added that the threats can come from any student. There’s no particular group of kids making these threats or a specific look to someone making threats. “The threats can come from anywhere,” she said. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, profiling doesn’t help.”
Sheriff Matheny said, “Considering all of the recent school shootings around the country, school systems have put much more emphasis on educating the students, as well as the parents, to come forward when they see or hear a threat of mass violence.
“I am not sure that there has been an increase in the threats being made either verbally or by social media, but certainly the response to them is different. A new law recently went into effect making it a crime to make a threat of mass violence towards a school, and we are arresting every person that we can identify that makes such a threat. Because of this new law, there are now severe consequences to these threats, which brings more attention to the issue.”
Going forward, Matheny wants to ensure the safety by opening up the communication between students and law enforcement. “It is very important that the SRO in each school, as well as myself and the officers that work for my office, have an open and trusting relationship with the youth in our community. I want our children to feel safe talking to an officer about any problem they are experiencing, either at home or at school. Communication with a child who is struggling in some way can make the difference in their life. I, along with Director of Schools Grant Swallows, are united in our message to parents to please talk to your children about the consequences of making threats of mass violence. I can assure the public that any time a threat is made, and that person can be identified, he or she will be arrested.”
With the most recent threat being reported by a student, Swallows said, “I’m very proud of our students for stepping up and telling us issues as they see them. That takes courage.”
