State, school officials call threats of violence on Dec. 17 ‘non-credible’
December 16, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti UPDATE 3:30 p.m. Dec. 17
The Vermont State Police issued this update: “Over the past 24 hours, school officials in northern Vermont reported three potential threats to the Vermont State Police, notified their school communities, and modified operations. The incidents were reported at the Canaan School, Williamstown Middle & High School, and North Country Union Junior High School.”
State police found no evidence to suggest any of the reported threats were credible.
UPDATE 9 a.m., Dec. 17
A Vermont State Police trooper is stationed at Harwood Union High School today, Friday, Dec. 17, as a precautionary measure, according to a school announcement. School officials this morning issued a message acknowledging the officer’s presence saying the state police had assigned troopers to multiple schools around the state today.
School officials emphasized that the step was not in response to any threat.
“Out of an abundance of caution the Vermont State Police has stationed troopers in districts throughout the state. We have a trooper at the HUHS campus today. This was a surprise this morning and we did not have prior notice. We HAVE NOT had any threats of any kind.”
Elsewhere in Vermont, state police reported two incidents of threats to schools on Thursday after school ended for the day. Late Thursday night, state police issued a press release saying the were investigating a threat made on Thursday at the Williamstown Middle & High School after the school day ended. Likewise state police Thursday evening said they were investigating a separate threat made at North Country Jr. High School in Derby.
VTDigger reported that North Country planned to shift to remote learning for Friday to allow state police to investigate a threat written on a school bathroom mirror and discovered on Thursday.
In both cases, state police said that investigations were ongoing, no arrests had been made, and that “an increased police presence may be seen in the area of the school.”
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Original post
State and local Vermont school officials are alerting school communities and parents about concern over social media messages warning of threats of violence at schools around the nation on Friday, Dec. 17.
Agency of Education Secretary Dan French in a memo to public school superintendents and heads of private schools on Thursday said that the Vermont Intelligence Center is working to contact local law enforcement agencies about social media posts circulating mostly on the platform Tik Tok. He emphasized that state officials were “not aware of any credible threats to schools in Vermont.”
French’s memo contained multiple screen shot images with examples of messages warning readers to be careful on Dec. 17 but none mention any specific locations.
“Several states have received (non-credible) information about the potential for school violence on Dec. 17, 2021. The social media (TikTok)-based threats have been presented in a variety of formats,” French said.
Parents, staff and students in the Harwood Unified Union School District were alerted to the developments in an email from Superintendent Brigid Nease at 3 p.m. Nease said she regretted having to send such a notice but thought it was important to share the information “about some disturbing social media related to another Tik Tok challenge” with the community.
“I am sending this message to you in the spirit of communication and collaboration. Our team takes the safety of our community most seriously and wants to communicate what is being posted on social media,” Nease wrote.
Her message elaborates (emphasis from the original text):
“Administrators across the nation have been made aware of a national TikTok trend threatening gun violence at school on December 17, 2021. HUUSD schools have NOT been mentioned. In fact, no Vermont school has been identified. Information about these threats is considered non-credible. We have not received any threats, we feel school is very safe, and we plan to have school tomorrow. This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff.”
Earlier in the school year, a challenge posed to users of Tik Tok dared school students to steal items from school buildings or otherwise vandalize school property and then post about their deeds online. Multiple schools around Vermont including Harwood Union Middle and High School dealt with vandalism to school bathrooms and other areas where students damaged or removed fixtures from soap holders to telephones to sinks.
Example of a Tik Tok post referencing Dec. 17 threats. Screenshot from Vermont Agency of Education memo
On Thursday, Nease asked parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online. Everyone is also encouraged to report any messages they come across that may mention a local school or a specific threat. “We want to take a moment to remind all staff, students and parents to reach out anytime throughout the year to school officials and law enforcement if you know of any specific threats or witness any suspicious activity,” she said.
Nease’s message links to the Vermont Agency of Education’s information that contains examples of the posts at issue.
Vermont State Police spokesman Adam Silverman Thursday afternoon said state police were aware of the situation and that state Education Agency officials were taking the lead on communicating with the public about it.
Nease also shared contact information for the Vermont State School Safety Tip Line which can be reached via text message (Text Safe4VT to 274637), phone 844-723-3488 (844-Safe4VT), or the website safe4vt.org.