The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is not releasing any details of its investigation into a student’s alleged threats against the Habersham Ninth Grade Academy.
In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, HCSO says, “In respecting the confidentiality of the juvenile process, specifics of the incident cannot be released.” The statement does say that the matter “continues to be investigated by the The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, The Habersham County School System and The Demorest Police Department.”
As Now Habersham first reported, the student was taken into custody Friday. The student also faces “serious disciplinary consequences,” according to school administrators.
Nothing in the statement released Monday indicates whether the student was charged and/or released from custody.
Click here to read full HCSO statement
Incident sparks fear, worry
Social media posts about the alleged threats sparked fear among parents when information circulated that the student was given in-school suspension but was not removed from campus.
HNGA Principal Connie Franklin sent out an email on Saturday to parents. In it she says, “This week it came to our attention that a student made some comments deemed as threatening against the school. As with all matters of student safety, we have taken this very seriously and have acted accordingly. The incident was thoroughly investigated by school administration and local law enforcement. On Friday, the juvenile was taken into custody by law enforcement and also faces serious disciplinary consequences. As your principal, I can assure you that I will not permit any student to attend school that could pose a threat to students or staff.”
Superintendent Cooper also issued a statement addressing the matter.
“In the Habersham County School System we will investigate any real or perceived threats to our students, staff or schools. We will always involve law enforcement and other resources in our investigations,” he says. “Any student who makes threats, whether real or not, will be subject to the most severe disciplinary consequences, including when necessary, complete expulsion from school.”
Click here to read school administrators’ full response
White County student detained
A student at the White County Ninth Grade Academy was detained and charged Thursday for allegedly threatening to “shoot up” that school.
In that incident, Cleveland Police and the White County Superintendent of Schools publicly shared limited details of that investigation including the juvenile’s gender, his alleged threats, where he was detained, and that he was charged.
Both incidents occurred just days after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead.
Local law enforcement beefed up school campus patrols in the wake of that shooting. Still, the heightened sense of anxiety among students and parents sparked an active, sometimes hostile, social media scene. Prior to Habersham County school administrators acknowledging that threats had been made at HNGA, some parents familiar with the alleged incident threatened to pull their students out of school until they were assured the student was no longer on campus.
Officials urge the public to remain vigilant and report any real or perceived threats to school administrators and law enforcement.
“These threats are not considered a joke,” the statement from the Sheriff’s Office reads. “These types of threats should not be taken lightly because ‘I know that persons family and he/she would never do something like that’. Notify the local law enforcement agency and let them look into all public/school threats.”
HCSO says it’s working with the county school system and local police departments to “ensure and maintain a safe school environment for all students, faculty, staff, parents and visitors.”
