Charleroi student charged with making threats
A 17-year-old Charleroi student is facing two criminal charges and possible expulsion from school after allegedly writing a violent threat on a school bathroom wall Wednesday.
The message, which said “I am shooting the school on March 12th,” was discovered at dismissal time Wednesday on a boys bathroom wall at the Fallowfield Township campus of Charleroi Area School District. The students who discovered it immediately reported it to administration, according to Superintendent Edward Zelich.
“We take every threat extremely seriously,” he said. “In today’s day and age, there is no place for a threat like that anywhere in our society. It will not be tolerated.”
Zelich said the school board will have a hearing next week to determine the consequences for the student, who will not be in school before that hearing. He said a recommendation of expulsion has been made.
The student also will be charged by Charleroi Regional police with terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. The charges will be issued by summons and be adjudicated in juvenile court.
“We’re seeing all these threats in school districts,” Chief Eric Porter said. “Kids are afraid, parents are afraid, and these kids need to take it seriously.”
Porter said he suspects the teenager believed the threat to be a joke.
“It’s not something you can joke about,” Porter said. “You can tell these kids over and over again about the consequence for something like this, but unfortunately, sometimes it goes this far.”
The district increased security Thursday and sent a letter to parents and guardians alerting them to the threat. Zelich said the district met with teachers Thursday, who then met with students to have “conversations with them” about the seriousness of this type of threat.
“Parents and guardians need to be having those conversations at home as well,” he said. “Everything can’t just be on the school. Our goal is to be proactive.”