South Glens Falls, N.Y. – A terroristic threat was made against the South Glens Falls High School in early October. The threat is just one of a rash of terroristic threats that some school districts are now dealing with.
There have been two cases in October where people were charged with Making a Terroristic Threat. One alleged threat was by a 2010 graduate of Lansingburgh High School and another alleged threat was by a student at the South Glens Falls High School.
A 16-year-old student allegedly made deadly threats on facebook to the South Glens Falls High School.
"The statute has language that talks about large based types of threats that are going to impact large groups of people," said the 11st District Attorney for Saratoga County, Karen Heggen.
In both cases those types of threats are exactly what people saw online, and they took action. Police relied on the public to alert them and or the school about what they saw on facebook. Tony Delsignore says he believes parents should take an active role to help prevent these types of threats.
"It starts with the parents quite honestly. The parents need to be more parenting and that's the bottom line. We can't keep blaming society. Someone has to be held accountable and that's the parents," said Delsignore.
A parent who does monitor their child's facebook saw the post and alerted school officials. Some students were shocked by the threat," said Shannon Morgan, a parent in the district.
"What they put in writing is no different than what you say face to face," said Superintendent for South Glens Falls Schools, Michael Patton.
The school is using the incident to educate parents, students, and staff.
"We've really encouraged parents and guardians to monitor what's on our students facebook pages and social media sites, what they're text messaging back and forth," said Patton.
The 16-year-old's case is on hold until a mental health evaluation is completed. There is an order of protection to keep the student away from the school.
"Legislatures deem these to be violent felonies and in that regard the sentences that accompany them are often sentences that carry ranges which are rather significant in terms of incarceration in prison," said Heggen.
"Students, teenagers across the whole country are hopefully clearly getting this message," said Patton.
Last week a Saratoga Springs man was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for Attempted Making a Terroristic Threat. Police say Brent Dickinson sent emails to a Saratoga County school threatening to harm and kill young students.
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