New threats against Hays CISD middle schools under investigation

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - New threats against two Hays CISD middle schools are under investigation, according to the district.

Hays CISD told FOX 7 Austin in an email that a new threat surfaced Thursday, Sept. 19, which specifically named Chapa and Simon middle schools and is now under investigation by the Hays County Sheriff's Office.

Due to the threats, there will be extra patrols on Thursday and Friday at the middle school campuses.

READ MORE

• 3 Hays CISD students charged for spreading school shooting threat on social media
• Hays CISD middle schooler detained for spreading school shooting threat on social media
• Social media school threats: Parents express concerns

The district has also released a poster in an effort to put an end to the threats, imploring students to avoid "threat regret" and reminding them that posting a threat on social media will get them "for real arrested, fingerprinted and booked." The poster also directs students to report circulating threats to their school, the district, and the state.

"If there is a bright spot, it is our students who are reporting these threats to adults as soon as they see them online or hear them. In all but one of our cases these past two weeks, students have been the ones doing the right thing by reporting the incidents," said a letter from Hays CISD sent out Thursday.

What we know

Five Hays County students, ranging in age from 11 to 15, so far have been arrested and charged with various felonies related to the threats, according to the district.

The Hays CISD threat trend began on Thursday, Sept 12, when a sixth grader was detained for spreading a school shooting threat on social media. This threat specifically named Simon Middle School.

The next day, the sheriff's office detained another sixth grader from Wallace Middle School, who is friends with the sixth grader from Simon Middle School.

Both sixth-graders are charged with the juvenile court equivalent of a state jail felony for making a false alarm or report.

A threat on Sept. 12 that named McCormick Middle School was forwarded by Snapchat to the FBI.

A sixth grader from McCormick Middle School was charged with the juvenile court equivalent of a third-degree felony of making a terroristic threat.

Hays CISD said at the time the student did not have the means to carry out his threat, but admitted that he made one.

The district said Sept. 19 that in all of these cases, the investigations revealed the threats did not actually place any campuses in danger.

Read the full letter from Hays CISD below:

Dear Hays CISD Family,

We, like most districts across the region and state, are continuing to see social media threats circulating against our schools. Today, law enforcement is investigating a new threat that has surfaced that specifically names Simon and Chapa Middle Schools. In response, we have asked our law enforcement partners to help with extra patrols today and tomorrow at our middle school campuses.

Already, five Hays CISD students, from ages 11 to 15, have been arrested and charged with various felony offenses related to creating these threats. In all of those cases, the investigations have revealed that the threats did not actually place any of our campuses in danger.

If you are concerned about this unnerving trend on social media for the past two weeks – know that you are not alone. It is taxing to law enforcement and school administration. It is upsetting to students and parents. That, of course, is why it is a serious matter that warrants serious consequences. Know that school leaders and law enforcement continue to be relentless in their duty and desire to investigate and resolve every threat.

One new thing that we are going to try regarding these threats is a bit more education with students about the seriousness of this trend we’re seeing. I have attached a poster concept we will be rolling out, along with some videos and other communication pieces directed toward students. The first is called, "Threat Regret." As soon as we have it translated to Spanish and printed, we will be hanging the English and Spanish versions around our secondary campuses.

We certainly don’t want to see any actual violence materialize from any of these threats, but we also hate to see so many students so unnecessarily enter the juvenile justice system. It brings us no joy that they are being charged with felony offenses.

We hope that this trend stops as quickly as it seems to have started this year. If there is a bright spot, it is our students who are reporting these threats to adults as soon as they see them online or hear them. In all but one of our cases these past two weeks, students have been the ones doing the right thing by reporting the incidents. The only exception was in the case where Snapchat caught the post and reported it to the FBI.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.

Sincerely,

Tim Savoy

Chief Communication Officer