Nov 16, 2017 3 min read

A threatening letter that was received two weeks ago by Ringgold School District, as well as other threats allegedly leveled against its striking schoolteachers last month, will result in added security measures at Monday’s board meeting.

District Superintendent Karen Polkabla said the threatening letter received by the administration Nov. 10 was turned over to Monongahela police.

“Because the letter received is now part of an active police investigation we are unable to comment on the content of the letter at this time,” Polkabla said.

“We do want to say that at the end of the day, we are all part of one community that cares dearly about our students and their education,” she said. “We are saddened that anybody has been the victim of recent threats.”

George J. Shallenberger, 44, of 175 Gilmore Road, Union Township, was arrested by Monongahela police Nov. 9 after the teachers claimed he was making threatening comments about them on Facebook.

Police said Shallenberger’s Facebook posts about the teachers began Oct. 6, when he allegedly called them “snowflakes” and commented that they “need to get real jobs.” Police said his comments about the teachers took a darker turn Nov. 8, when he allegedly posted, “Guns don’t kill people. I kill people. Happiness is a warm gun.”

Shallenberger was charged by Monongahela police with two counts of making terroristic threats and was sent to Washington County jail on $150,000 bond set by District Judge Larry Hopkins. Shallenberger made bond and was released from jail Monday. He has yet to enter the appearance of an attorney to represent him in the case, online court records indicate.

Ringgold’s 210 teachers walked off their jobs Oct. 18 over salary disputes while negotiating a new five-year contract. The state is requiring them to return to work Tuesday in order for students to receive 180 days of instruction by mid-June.

Ringgold Education Association President Maria Degnan said the union was made aware of the letter, but that the threats in it involved the administration office and not the teachers. Degnan said the union was not told about the contents of the letter.

The two sides return to negotiations at 1 p.m. Monday, she said. If an agreement is not reached by Tuesday, the union and district will enter nonbinding arbitration, Degnan added.

Ringgold police have implemented procedures to ensure the safety of the staff.

As a result of the threats, the board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday has been relocated to the high school.

Anyone attending the meeting will be required to participate in metal-detector screening. To expedite the metal-detector process, no one may bring any bags, purses or backpacks into the building, the district said on its website.