MUSKEGON, Mich. — A student was detained after calling in a threat to a Muskegon school Wednesday morning, Superintendent Jim Nielsen said in a letter to parents.
Nielsen says a student used their cellphone to call the front office of Orchard View Middle School to make the threat. The student was identified and detained while Muskegon Township Police investigated the threat's legitimacy.
Police determined there was not a real risk to students or staff. The student was turned over to authorities who are working with the juvenile court system.
Nielsen shared a prior statement from Muskegon County Prosecutor, D.J. Hilson to parents:
“Any threat, real or implied, against a school, staff, or students is a felony. A criminal threat can be verbal, written, or posted online. It is not a defense to claim that the threat was a joke or was not going to be acted upon. We encourage parents to be extra vigilant in monitoring their children's online activities and their electronic devices to ensure the material being posted or disseminated is not threatening in any way. We have been made aware of verbal or written threats being made against schools in other communities, and we are asking our parents to help us prevent such threatening communication from occurring in our community. We are also working with area schools to help spread the message to our kids that jokes about violence against schools are no laughing matter and carry significant consequences.”
School officials encourage guardians to talk with children about the consequences of making threats and stress the importance of saying something if they hear or see anything suspicious.
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