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Irresponsible use of social media spread a rumor overnight of a threat at Bellefontaine City Schools, leading the school officers to send out a message that the alleged threat had been dealt with.
BY JOEL E. MAST and Mandy Loehr
EXAMINER STAFF WRITERS
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Officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department report a middle school student made statements during the school day Thursday and it was dealt with immediately.
Unfortunately, a fellow student recounted the girl’s statement in a late Thursday night message that spread rapidly through the social media world. It appeared to be a new threat, not a resolved disciplinary problem.
Bellefontaine Superintendent Brad Hall sent out the notification around 7:20 a.m. today through the SchoolMessenger system to those who are registered to receive such alerts.
He confirmed today that a student was overheard making a threatening comment during school. The pupil immediately met with school officials and the district’s school resource officer from the Bellefontaine Police Department and was issued a suspension as a result of the incident.
“We dealt with the situation at the time and felt that everything was resolved,” Hall said.
But soon after 10 p.m., rumors began to spread causing concern in the school community and in a neighboring district.
Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds said his department was contacted this morning by Benjamin Logan Local School District officials after students talked about the overnight message.
“We went out there and looked into it,” he said. “There was nothing to it, so we worked to put it to rest.”
Police Chief Brandon Standley said this incident shows the damage created by social media usage. Addressing rumors takes time and effort of law enforcement and school officials, he said.
“I would urge parents and concerned students not to use social media to spread reports of threats from unreliable sources,” he said. “If it’s not from the school or from us, don’t send it out.”
However, if a student, parent or resident sees a posted threat, they should call authorities so that it can be investigated for verification.
“I am proud of the work the city school and our school resource officer,” the chief said. “They did their jobs and addressed the situation immediately.”
Information regarding the school incident and about the other student’s social media posting has been forwarded to the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges.