Just days earlier, a group of 70 local teachers sought to correct CRT-related inaccuracies in their own letter to the editor. We want to again thank students, parents, and families for their understanding and flexibility today. The point of publicizing this was to point out that the district took what is a garden variety dispute among middle schoolers, and blew it out of proportion and turned it into a Title IX investigation, Berg told Wisconsin Watch. None was willing to be identified publicly, citing fears of retaliation amid the violent threats in Kiel. We won that day at the library, and it felt so good, she said.We might have just won the battle, not the war, but even just knowing you have people on your side is a statement to young people you are not alone. . Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Its an unbelievable scenario.. Thank God we have your organization, because theres been a lot of wins, said one audience member. In late 2011, a series of bomb threats including threats sent via international Internet proxy servers disrupted the Orange Public Schools in Pepper Pike, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. WESH 2's Claire Metz reports police evacuated the school due to a bomb threat that several people received on their phones. In an abundance of caution, I asked Edinburgh Police Department to maintain a police presence at our schools today, and they graciously agreed. For questions regarding republishing rules please contact Andy Hall, executive director, at, In Kiel, Wisconsin, attack on critical race theory ignores bullying of Black student, conservative Twitter account posted the name of the school principal, dive deeper into the episode in a follow up story, education, public health, housing, criminal justice, prohibit educators from referencing a host of concepts, including critical race theory,, website, which has since stopped functioning, banning the (New York Times) 1619 project, the American Library Association has four times since 2003 listed it, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Mississippi River floodwaters swamp upper Midwest, Whistleblower claims Milwaukee doctor performed unneeded surgeries, Judge tosses felony charge against former parole chairperson, False alarm: How Wisconsin uses race and income to label students high risk. Questions loom about how the outcome of a Title IX investigation in Kiel, Wis. might affect future Wisconsin school investigations and about what Kiels saga indicates about the trajectory of Wisconsins democracy. It was a three-week time period that was very stressful for our entire community, but especially for me and our police department, he told Wisconsin Watch. Cold Cases Missing Persons Daily Archive. In a recent update, police tweeted that the lockdown had ended and that students will be released to their parents from inside the school. 6:00 PM Board of Education Meeting . Some schools have put messages on their school phone voice mail directories indicating that calls may be recorded for security purposes. People are really amped up, an officer said while confirming the reporters identification. During the school board election, he and his wife Kim became involved with a loosely organized group of parents and citizens named Best for Kids, which Kim describes as a nonpartisan effort to make Kiel more tolerant. School officials should talk with local enforcement to obtain documents similar to this federalBomb Threat Checklistor the former ATF Bomb Threat Checklist. I wouldnt wish it on anybody. The rhetoric mobilized the groups nearly 200 members. Many who spoke to a reporter requested anonymity and out-of-view meeting spots. The water was boiling, and when (the Title IX investigation) came to the light, it really kind of brought the pot to a full boil and overflowed at times.. Families have returned to their riverbank strolls. School safety and emergency preparedness guidelines may include strategies such as: Information on school bomb threats and other school emergency preparedness issues is available in Kens latest book,Proactive School Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning. Recognize, though, that many tech-savvy students are able to bypass these filters. The same issues that roiled conservatives in Kiel showed up in nearby school districts, Shaver added, but they didnt draw the same level of animosity as in Kiel. If you want more information about the Swinging Swallows, visit our nest in the Fellowship Hall of Wesley United Church at 275 Pembroke Street East in Pembroke, Ontario on a Thursday evening, mid-September through mid-April, from 7:00 pm. (Lianne Milton for Wisconsin Watch). At 6:54 a.m. today (Friday, April 14, 2023), the school corporation was notified of a bomb threat. Because hes white and straight? School Security & Emergency Preparedness Training, Managing Administrator & SRO Programs Training & Consultation, School Security & Emergency Preparedness Risk Vulnerability Threat Assessments, School Safety Roundtables: Electronic Teleconferences, Proactive School Security & Emergency Planning Book, 2015 national study of more than 800 violent school bomb threat and shooting threats, Proactive School Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning, School Security & Emergency Preparedness Risk/Vulnerability/Threat Assessments, School Security & Emergency Preparedness Professional Development Training, School Safety Roundtables: Electronic Teleconference Consultations, School Resource Officer/Police & Administrator Training, Post-Crisis School Safety Support Consulting, Increased school gun confiscations and use on campus: 10 steps to strengthen school safety and security, How Congress and the Biden Administration can restore meaningful programs to strengthen school safety, security, and emergency preparedness, School security expert witness says school safety civil lawsuits point to allegations of failures of human factors, not failures of security equipment and technology, Is remote learning the new crutch for school administrators when safety threats occur? The group stays in touch with law enforcement and has offered to collaborate not armed, just to be a valuable asset, during any civil unrest, he said. First, the middle school, then multiple Kiel schools. Following the apprehension of a suspect in the series of bomb and active shooter threats that plagued southeast Ohio schools in the last week, schools are back in session today. All kindergarten-8th grade after-school activities and athletics are canceled today. We also try to do a couple of demonstrations each year to help raise awareness, interest, and participation in the activity we all enjoy. Critical race theory is the perfect villain, he told the New Yorker in 2021. Residents peeked out of windows; few ventured into the streets of this northeastern Wisconsin town of 4,000. One local group, Tri-County Citizens, coalesced around an effort to keep CRT out of schools. He said other officials hadnt spoken either before abruptly ending the call. Student assignments will be posted by 12 p.m. Have a good weekend, Argylls! Our sessions accommodate new and veteran dancers, all of whom enjoy the physical and mental workout that comes with square dancing. He has mixed feelings, however, about the violent threats used to pressure the board. Later, in 2021, a local resident accused the consultant of promoting critical race theory. One Maryland school district experienced more than 150 bomb threats and 55 associated arrests in one school year. A Kiel music teachers report flagged four or five incidents between the boys and the transgender student, Berg said. Tracking spending in Kiels school board race is difficult. The parents were outraged at the school for what the families described as the mistaken use of the wrong pronouns using she to address the transgender student, who went by they/them pronouns. This is the United States of America. The challengers did not respond to Wisconsin Watchs interview requests. Said Rabidoux about going public: It was our only defense.. The groups talking points, amplified on social media and in the newspaper, framed school board campaigns. Schools reopened under heightened security and substantial anxiety in the school-community. Their primary reason was that they did not see the email until this morning and did not have adequate time to search their buildings to ensure student and staff safety. This is your Superintendent, Dr. Hile. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Oh. According to Coral Springs Police, the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure after a threat was made on social media, Monday morning. Some of the communication coming from Mr. Harden around the farmers market seems to thinly veil his political views and motivations, which are extreme and discriminatory in nature, the letter said. Im not sure how I feel about that. The anti-CRT messages spilled onto the pages of the Tri-County News, Kiels newspaper. We informed staff and parents just before school this morning once we had the most accurate and up to date information. Thats when the parents of three Kiel Middle School boys told news outlets that their children were under investigation for violating Title IX a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools for allegedly bullying a transgender student. The rationale for this request is that the facility users (teachers, support staff, administrators, etc.) Our team has been working on this situation since early this morning. A number of high-profile incidents involving bombs and bomb threats took place prior to the 1999 Columbine High School attack showed a trend we identified and trained schools to prepare for at that time: The attack at Columbine High School triggered bomb threats and attention to the need for school and police officials to assess threats versus automatically evacuating as a best practice. Additional elements that are packaged with our story must be labeled. One, Making a Baby, deals with pregnancy; the other, Its Perfectly Normal, contains illustrations of human anatomy, gender and sexuality something that a parent and child could sit down together to read and open a conversation about the human body, said Julia Davis, director of the Kiel Public Library. The final bomb threat came with an ultimatum: Drop the Title IX investigation or much of Kiel would face violence. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 CALUMET CITY, IL A bomb threat was called in Thursday to a Calumet City elementary school, forcing an evacuation, according to WLS. The school board challengers narrowly swept three incumbents, giving self-professed anti-CRT members a majority on the seven-member board. Others left their porch lights on at night a symbol for combatting the dark times. Funkhouser said his police department doesnt generally accept such offers, nor is he aware of local militia activity. Along with Tri-County Citizens, Common Sense Kiel spurred like-minded residents to attend school board meetings, pass out fliers and knock on doors ahead of the election. School staff ranging from custodians to principals, and even some security and former police officers, have reportedly picked up suspected devices and moved them around school property, delayed calling police, and taken other dangerous steps which could have possibly been prevented through adequate training, crisis planning, and related measures. The investigation may take weeks or years, but Funkhouser said hes a patient man. It In 2013, bomb threats shut down schools in the Cleveland area, including in Strongsville and Olmsted Falls, as school officials evacuated and shut down school following threats. Out of an abundance of caution, and on the advice of law enforcement, MCS chose to declare an e-learning day today, April 14, to provide time for an investigation continues into these widespread threats. The Kiel Public Librarys trouble started in November 2021, when a man called police to claim that he spotted pornography on the shelves. In late May, the FBI arrested a 34 year-old-man in Oceanside, California for allegedly threatening to kill a Kiel schools staff member, but he was not believed to be the same person who emailed the bomb threats. He pushed to end school mask mandates during the pandemic. Mailing address: (Lianne Milton for Wisconsin Watch). P.O. She said she aims to challenge the misinformation threatening the community. Harden denies his group is a militia. We are concerned with the number of schools around the country immediately jumping to evacuations, often by pulling the fire alarm without the fire department knowing that such a procedure is being used for bomb threat evacuation rather than an actual fire. All students were reported safe and let out of school early. Consider extending the school day or school year to make up for lost instructional time may be another necessity in managing such threats. (Lianne Milton for Wisconsin Watch). Homeland Security is investigating this situation. The bullied student eventually transferred to a more diverse neighboring school district, where he graduated this spring. School bomb threats disrupt schools and create significant anxiety in a school-community, especially if they are reoccurring over a shorter period of time. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. Deputies say he allegedly CALUMET CITY, IL A bomb threat was called in Thursday to a Calumet City elementary school, forcing an evacuation, according to WLS. A police search of Carol Moseley Braun Elementary School turned up nothing, and students and staff returned to the building mid-day, WLS reported. Read more from WLS. I dont believe it got out of hand, but it got close, Harden said. See our 2015 national study of more than 800 violent school bomb threat and shooting threats. As a one-sided story about a Title IX investigation of students at Kiel Middle School ricocheted across the mediascape in spring 2022, hateful messages poured in to school staff, according to Kiel police. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. At Christmas and the end of the dance year we have a pot-luck dinner prior to dancing. The Swinging Swallows gather on Thursday evenings to start dancing at 7:00 pm. School officials immediately evacuated school grounds as police responded to the school. (For more information on how the dancing is different, visit theModern Squares?in the main menu.). Parents and students, please check your email for more information. INDIANAPOLIS Several dozen central Indiana school districts canceled in-person learning Friday, April 14, after a bomb threat was emailed to the districts, officials said. Copyright 1996-2023 by National School Safety and Security Services. Its going to go through the school boards.. An irate parent took the deputy superintendent and an associate superintendent of a California education office hostage in late November of 1998. Rose Rabidoux, the mother of one of the accused boys, added that the teacher documented incidents across multiple days, not an isolated conversation in class. The spokesperson said Greenwood Community Schools has extra police at the schools as a precaution. Our membership is quite varied in ages and abilities with everyone enjoying the fun and friendships that are offered. A final notification about athletic and ECA events will be communicated as soon as we have made a determination. email us atinfo@getupanddance.caor give us a call with questions about modern square dancing, our Club and joining our group, Facebook: In the past, Kiels local races generally stayed nonpartisan, with little meddling from state political parties, said Eli Shaver, chair of the Calumet County Democratic Party. The following school districts also reported delays/closings Friday: A spokesperson with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office told 13News that not all Johnson County schools received the threat. Exactly when that shift started depends on whom you ask, but Kiel Police Chief Dave Funkhouser said it started in the schools. Nonprofit, nonpartisan news about Wisconsin. Berg said WILL helped law enforcement by publicly condemning the threats and emailing the person who sent them, after obtaining the persons email from police. New members pledge to obey commanding officers, are advised to wear a uniform and must swear an oath with their hand on a Bible. Subscribe to ournewsletterto get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup. If anyone faces online harassment, Harden said, its him as detractors mock his family, leave negative reviews for his business and accuse him of running his own militia. School buses have also been the target of terrorist bombings in the Middle East, so it would be wise for school officials to include school bus and transportation facilities in their bomb threat and suspicious device planning and training. The districts swift closure of the investigation will send a chilling message to schools and districts that protecting transgender students could put them in danger, said Elizabeth Tang, senior counsel for education and workplace justice at the National Womens Law Center. Instructions for the elementary can be found here and middle/high school here. Kiels paralysis in late May and early June followed a descent into incivility that shares elements of school board fights across the country fueled by a cocktail of political tribalism, COVID-19 anxiety, false claims of election fraud and racial tensions following the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd. More details will be provided as soon as possible. It made me lose faith in government and policy, in the judicial system, as well as the congressional system.. A news event shook Kiel in mid-May. Smoky clouds hung like the pall that had enveloped the town in recent weeks. Instead, they simply ask employees to look around and report suspicious items or things out of place so public safety responders can then follow-up with those particular items. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we investigate the situation. Incorporating issues related to checklists, search procedures, crime scene management, evacuations, and recovery into training and crisis guidelines. In July 2020, two months after Floyds murder and amid nationwide protests against violence inflicted upon Black Americans, the mother of a Black Kiel High School student discovered racist messages in her sons football teammate group chat. We really were not ready for the degree to which the Republican Party came into the area., That came amid a GOP push to reshape school governance on race and gender nationwide, in line with former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannons 2021 declaration that The path to save the nation is very simple. The attack at Columbine High School triggered bomb threats and attention to the need for school and police officials to assess threats versus automatically evacuating as a best practice. Immediately following Columbine, schools across the nation experienced a spike in bomb threats and related incidents. Wisconsin has some of the countrys starkest disparities between white and Black residents in education, public health, housing, criminal justice and income. Berg confirmed that notes from the music teacher included a handful of incidents that had been left out of WILLs narrative, all of which centered around misuse of the students pronouns. Instead, he said, it promotes a lifestyle of growing crops, skinning rabbits, cleaning fish or just getting back into small-town rural activities.. Then he worked to flip the school board to advance his brand of conservatism. This is a concern that should factor into evacuation considerations. Develop procedures for actual evacuations (short and distant evacuations, alternative sites, transportation procedures, reunification with families, etc.). For additional information, contactKen Trump. Funkhouser confirmed WILLs cooperation during the police investigation. We have an Executive, a Caller and a fun bunch of members! Providing training to school personnel, including support personnel such as bus drivers, custodians, and secretaries, who are likely to encounter bomb threats and homemade bombs. And public safety officials certainly do not want school officials touching or moving suspicious items detected by a visual search. But it was only one battle in a larger war. Previously, Koran served as a west coast correspondent for the Guardian US and spent five years covering education for Voice of San Diego, where he was named the 2016 reporter of the year by the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. As part of a settlement, the school district hired a consultant to educate staff and students about racism and harassment. are most familiar with what does and does not belong, and therefore are best equipped to recognize what is and is not suspicious where public safety officials are not that familiar with the school and individual classrooms. We all had a great time at the first event when Andy gathered old and young together in a big square to start the dancing! FORT LAUDERDAL E -- Students and staff at Ramblewood Middle School were evacuated as a precaution on Monday after a bomb threat was received, officials Cloquet High School, Middle School Evacuated After Bomb Threat Police in northern Minnesota responded Wednesday to a bomb threat at Cloquet High School.