A junior high student is facing criminal charges for using social media to spread fake school threats.
SALT LAKE CITY — A junior high student is facing criminal charges after allegedly spreading fake school threats on social media this weekend.
According to the Granite School District, the female student is facing a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and could be removed from her school. District spokesperson, Ben Horsley, said school officials and Granite police were alerted to a post about a school shooting threat on social media on Saturday evening. Police spent hours tracking down the original post, made through an anonymous account, to determine its source and credibility. The threat was determined to be a rumor and unfounded.
This is becoming a huge draconian drag and force on schools and on law enforcement. In this particular case we probably have law enforcement and administrators spending upwards of ten hours in the middle of the night… to verify there was not a credible threat and ensure the safety of our students and staff. She made up something that was not true and it caused consternation… to our school [so this] is an appropriate disorderly conduct charge, Horsley said.
In the last year, the school district, one of the largest in the state with more than 67,000 students, said they’ve pursued criminal charges in at least a dozen cases; everything from a misdemeanor for spreading lies to felony charges related to terroristic threats where a student makes a direct threat.
Horsley said district officials take fake threats just as seriously as real scenarios.
Unfortunately, we see this happening one to two times per week and it causes a great deal of harm, Horsley said. We need people to take this seriously, it is becoming an unending problem and literally everyone of our administrators probably spending at least 50% of their time dealing with unending drama of social media.
In addition to criminal charges, students may also face suspension or permanent removal which means they are assigned to an alternative school program, depending on the situation.
According to Horsley, school districts are pushing for more serious consequences through the legislature. New Bill HB14, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Wilcox, D-Weber County, would require expelling or suspending students in some cases. It would also elevate a criminal offense to a second-degree felony if it is committed by an adult. HB 14 School Threat Penalty Amendments passed the House and is under consideration in the Senate.
Horsley said there is also another bill in the works which would hold parents accountable for their children’s actions in similar situations. It would follow a similar format to 2023’s SB 224 Parental Liability Amendments.
Our encouragement to parents is simply if you can’t monitor it [their social media activity], please don’t allow your child to have access to it, Horsley said.
We have seen multiple instances of fake threats being posted in a similar fashion. These threats cause needless panic and concern for our students and their families. We respectfully request that if you are unable to monitor your child’s smartphone and social media use, that you restrict access to it. Schools and law enforcement do NOT have the ability to monitor thousands of student’s social media accounts. This is the responsibility of the parent or guardian, Parents were advised in the email sent out Sunday, Feb. 4.
As the issue of fake threats continues to plague schools across the country, it is crucial for students, parents, and society as a whole to understand the severity and consequences of such actions. The school district is taking a proactive approach to address the problem by pursuing criminal charges and advocating for stricter consequences through proposed legislation.
While these fake threats may be seen as harmless pranks by those who make them, they create significant disruptions and waste valuable resources that could be allocated to real emergencies. School administrators and law enforcement are forced to spend countless hours verifying the credibility of these threats, diverting their attention and energy away from their primary responsibilities.
The Granite School District is one of many districts grappling with the issue of fake threats. According to spokesperson Ben Horsley, they encounter such incidents on a weekly basis, causing harm and panic within the school community. Therefore, the district is urging parents to take a proactive role in monitoring their children’s social media activity and limiting their access if necessary.
In response to the escalating problem, state legislators are pushing for stricter consequences. Bill HB14, currently under consideration in the Senate, would require the expulsion or suspension of students in some cases. Additionally, it would elevate the offense to a second-degree felony if committed by an adult. Another bill, inspired by the success of 2023’s SB 224 Parental Liability Amendments, aims to hold parents accountable for their children’s actions in similar situations.
The message is clear: the dissemination of fake threats is a serious offense that not only disrupts the educational environment but also has legal ramifications. It is incumbent upon all stakeholders, including schools, parents, and lawmakers, to work together to combat this issue and ensure the safety and well-being of students.
