Social Media Threats Lead to Precautions

McKENZIE (September 20) — Last week, the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association warned against school threats that are occurring on a statewide basis. Last Friday, McKenzie Special School District took great precaution on suspicious rumors.

Dr. Justin Barden, director of schools, told the newspaper that safety of the children was the foremost concern and acted as needed.

“At no time was there a credible threat made against any of our schools today. Some rumors were circulated by students and parents, but all were unfounded and, as best we can determine, connected to rumors about school violence that were taking place statewide last week. We did take some additional precautions this morning at MMS (McKenzie Middle School), given that the reported info came to us late last night (Thursday). But again, nothing was substantiated through the course of the investigation today. Attached is a statement that will be released to families this afternoon.”

The following statement was released to the general public.

Dear Families and Staff,

McKenzie Special Schools are aware of a viral trend that has affected schools and school districts nationwide.

Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. We take all potential threats very seriously, working in partnership with local law enforcement officers. To that end, we encourage anyone who sees or hears anything that could represent a potential school safety issue to immediately notify a teacher, staff member, or administrator right away.

These threats can be highly disruptive to teaching and learning, while causing a great deal of stress and anxiety for students, families, and staff alike. We are asking for your help by not sharing rumors or posts referencing unsubstantiated threats via social media or text messages. Instead, please contact your school or district office and/or local law enforcement. This is the best way to address any school safety concerns.

As you can imagine, these types of social media posts put schools like ours in a difficult position. We must respond to and investigate all potential threats, while minimizing disruptions to the learning process as much as possible. We are asking for your support as we deal with this issue, which is affecting schools across the United States.

We are fortunate to have School Resource Officers (SROs) from the McKenzie PD in each of our buildings, and we have members of the TN Highway Patrol and Carroll Co. Sheriff department who are in our community and work with us on a daily basis to ensure our campuses are safe. The support of our community is a huge factor in ensuring that our students feel safe each day when they come to school and have the opportunity to learn to their greatest potential.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your attention to this important update.

Sincerely,
Dr. Justin Barden
Director of Schools