Independence High student in trouble for vague Facebook threat
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — An Independence High School student faces possible expulsion after posting a vague threat of violence on Facebook over the weekend.
The posting invited suggestions as to which school might get "shot up," the Kern High School District said Monday.
Bakersfield police were alerted and visited the student's family Sunday night. Officers determined the threat wasn't credible, according to district spokesman John Teves.
The student, whose name was withheld, was not at school Monday, Teves said. He also said attendance was down about 250 students Monday at Independence High, as parents and students were apparently spooked by the social media posting.
Teves said the district can't disclose how it will punish the student, but he said "disciplinary action for such conduct can include expulsion. In the past, students who have made such threats, even when not credible, have not returned to the school."
A good lesson on social media and the internet. With all of the shootings that are happening today it is not a good idea to post anything that can be taken as a threat. Even though they removed the post it was too late and had already spread by people that assumed it was a threat. As the story states police determined the threat was not credible but it still caused a few hundred students to miss school out of caution and I dont blame them. When a teenager has hundreds of friends on facebook and all of the friends have hundreds of friends then postings are seen by many before you have a chance to correct it. Any parent who reads this story needs to make sure their children see it as a reminder that once something is on the internet you cant take it back so if you think there is any chance a post can be taken wrong dont post it. Better safe than sorry.
 @Parent I agree that he shouldn't have posted what he did, but I really don't think he should be expelled for it. It's just a huge misunderstanding and they're making it to be something more than it really is.
@yungeggroll That may be true but most of us didnt see the post so we cant make that judgement. Thats one of the pitfalls of instant social media, all it takes is 1 or 2 people to say they feel threatened or 1 to think its funny to cause a panic you never know what will happen. You have to be really careful how you word things and dont allow everyone to see all of your posts.
"Tomorrow would be a really bad day to shoot up a school" is not even close to what he actually posted.
 @EZOG what did he post then?
@Haley Shadden There are enough students at your school that have pictures of it from FB I'm sure you will eventually see what he put.
I vaguely threaten my neighbors all the time. Of course much of it isn't made public, I just write about it on my computer or privately to friends, but somehow they still know about it. I think that's more of a crime then anything.
This is ridiculous. The status that was supposedly a "threat" was "Tomorrow would be a really bad day to shoot up a school". In no way was that status threatening. Sure, it wasn't put in the best way but he was referring to the next day being Suicide Awareness Day. He also deleted the status very shortly after he posted it, because his mother told him to. But because of the fact that someone took it as him saying the school was going to get "shot up" and posted it on twitter, everything blew out of proportion. He then posted a status shortly after that apologizing to everyone for the misunderstanding and informing them that they are in no potential danger. By that time Facebook and Twitter were swarmed with statuses and tweets claiming the school was going to get shot. A lot of people too were complaining that that sort of thing isn't something to be joking about. That's the thing though, he never joked about bringing a gun to school or shooting anyone. He simply stated that tomorrow would be a bad day for that even to take place given the circumstances. The fact that he got suspended for that seems extremely dramatic. The school did not even speak with the boy before taking action, so they do not know the whole situation. In my opinion, that is very unfair the him. That's like someone posting, "What if i was caught in the bathroom with the opposite sex during school?" and getting suspended for it. That person didn't say that they were in the bathroom with the opposite sex during school nor were they caught in the bathroom with the opposite sex after school. So for him to be suspended for posting a status that does not claim to bring harm to anyone or bring a weapon to school is ridiculous. I think this needs to be talked out reasonably between the student and the dean to get answers before assuming. After all, that is what they teach us in school.Â
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@yungeggroll If you are trying to defend the student then giving his full name, assuming that is his name, is not a good way to do it. Now you are just instigating trouble for someone you say did nothing wrong.
 @Parent I know, sorry. I didn't even realize I said his name. So glad you pointed it out for me.
Thank you for deleting the post. I dont know anyone involved but as a parent I dont think giving a minors name out involving a story like this helps anyone.
 @Haley Shadden When kbak makes up their own story, They publicize the non facts, they blow up and let the world hear their own form of the truth. They do not care about who they hurt. They are a bunch of young gossipers who just want a story. They just find something that the crowd wants to hear, and then they make up the rest. Once it is out there, the state just swoops in there and makes more of it than it is worth. Then the ones taken advantage of can not even fight back, because when you are inoscent and you tell your story, It doesn't even matter. The news is always right, even when they are wrong. They have gone to school and learned how to turn your words around to suit them. I do not believe their stories. There are some that are guilible out there, but not me.