KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
—
Schools nationwide have experienced an increase of threats this year, including here in the Kansas City area.
Lawrence Public Schools created a mandatory video for students to watch in class about the potential consequences of those threats.
In the video, Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart and Lawrence Public Schools Interim Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift tell students "violent threats are no joke" as they've seen "a higher number of school threats than usual."
Lawrence Police Department's public information officer, Laura McCabe, said the district saw a surge in threats following the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Sept. 4.
Lawrence's Liberty Memorial Central Middle School resource officer, Daniel Affalter, estimates his team of district-wide school resource officers (SROs) have investigated "well over 10" threats this school year.
"It's just the beginning of October," he said.
Depending on the threat, students could face felony charges.
"When we have these threats, we always write a report about it and send the affidavits over to the District Attorney's Office for them to review," Affalter said.
The Lawrence Police Department, which Affalter works under, has handed over at least three affidavits with suggested charges to the Douglas County DA’s office within the last month regarding school threats, according to McCabe.
The DA's office has not responded to KSHB 41 News' inquiry as to whether it has formally charged anyone this school year in regards to threats.
Affalter asks students why they make these threats or jokes.
"More often than not, they say that they are completely desensitized to it," he said. "It’s nothing that scares them anymore.”
In addition to potential criminal charges, students can also face disciplinary action including suspensions and expulsions, according to the district's executive director of communications, Julie Boyle.
All threats made toward Lawrence Public Schools this year have been deemed non-credible, according to Boyle.
“It still causes fear, anxiety, frustration, and most importantly, disrupts from the teaching and learning we’re trying to accomplish in our classrooms," Boyle said.
In addition to the disruption it causes in classrooms, it also depletes resources across the district.
“It can pull all the resources from the other schools to go help out the one school," Affalter said.
Affalter has a message for parents and students.
"You have to talk to them about how this is not a joke, and if you do hear or see something, please report it," Affalter said.
Officials tell students to not repost threats on social media, and instead, report it to a trusted adult.
—
