Police are seeking felony charges against a student they arrested on suspicion of making terrorist threats toward Neenah Middle School, Neenah Police chief Aaron Olson said during a news conference March 4.
A news release from Neenah schools and police after the conference also said that the threats were falsified by the suspect and that no one was in any actual danger.
Olson had a message for students: “If you make threats toward other students, toward any school, or towards school staff, we will identify you, and we will take action. These threats are not a joke, even if they were fabricated with no intent to harm anyone, and they will not be tolerated.”
He also had a message for the adults: Be patient while the police investigate. “This is real-world policing, not television,” he said, adding that police work takes more time than a commercial break. He also said that police would notify the public of any active threats.
During the news conference, Neenah Schools Superintendent Steve Harrison said the threat started on social media and “pertained to a small group of students” at Neenah Middle School. He also confirmed that the “originator” of the threats was the student in police custody.
He urged parents to check in on their children’s social media use and the community to get their information from credible sources.
Inaccurate information on social media, he said, could “compromise student well-being and hamper investigations.”
Neenah Middle School will resume in-person learning March 5, Harrison said. The school will see an increased police presence along with counselors.
Neenah schools go to virtual learning day March 4, to return to class March 5
Neenah Middle School had a virtual learning day March 4 due to a potential threat to people in the building, according to a March 3 statement from the school district.
During the news conference, Harrison said that class would resume March 5 now that the source of the threats had been identified.
In the March 3 statement, Neenah district leadership urged students and staff to continue with their virtual learning day “until the individuals involved have been identified and the situation has been resolved.” After-school activities have also been canceled, and any pre-scheduled parent-teacher conferences will be held virtually.
The statement was shared on social media, and on the post Neenah schools further shared that other students who normally get picked up near the middle school would have their bus stops moved and additional police patrols added.
It specifically called out a social media post about hacking as being unrelated to the current situation. During the press conference, Harrison said that post had been investigated and found not to be credible.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Police seek felony charges against student accused in Neenah threat
Reporting by Rebecca Loroff, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
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