YOUNGSTOWN, N.Y. — "On occasion over the years we've had issues and incidents like every other district. It's just that this one was so over the top," said Lewiston Porter School Superintendent Paul J. Cassari, regarding a recent incident that has thus far resulted in the arrest of two middle school students.
The pair face criminal charges of making a terroristic threat, menacing, aggravated harassment, and conspiracy in connection with a disturbing incident which may result in the suspension of other students as well.
According to Cassari the threats were made through social media and involved the threatened use of firearms against individuals at the school.
Though Cassari noted that police determined neither of those arrested had access to the type of arms they threatened to use, "the threat was really scary and quite dramatic in terms of the level of violence that this Snapchat group was going to perpetuate."
Over the Top
Lewiston Porter is not alone among school districts where this type of thing has happened.
However, it was also discovered that the threats were made through a fake Snapchat account, to make it appear that the perpetrator was an African American student whose mother then took to social media to say this same group of kids had been bullying her son due to his skin color,
In a post of her own via the Niagara Action forum on Facebook, she claimed police showed up at her home to question her son whom she inferred was set up by those involved.
"She let it be known that this (being bullied) had been something that had been going on with her son," said Cassari. "Then others stepped forward and I have received a number of emails from parents who said this has happened to their son or daughter...it causes me great concern."
A Bigger Issue
"I'm going to take responsibility for what I have control over which is when the kids are here at school," said Cassari.
But he also acknowledged the need for parents to take a more active role in their child's behavior, especially on social media, and, in a letter to the school-wide community acknowledged that it "needs to do better."
In recent years there've been incidents in communities the district (which is 98% white) serves, such as in Lewiston which was subject to leafleting by pro-white organizations, who've supported school board candidates who then had to disavow any association with such groups.
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It's Time to Have a Talk
"I wish I had the answer," said Cassari. "But the answer probably begins with communication."
Thus, the Town Hall Community Forum he is spearheading will be held on Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m. in the High School Auditorium where he hopes to enlist experts to speak to those assembled regarding racially harassing or bullying behaviors as part of a community discussion which he hopes the public will participate in.
"We hope to start a conversation with our school community to fully understand exactly what we have here and how we can begin to heal the situation," Cassari said.