7/30/2019 Letter to Parents and Rumors of Threats at CPS High Schools

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December20,2012

DearParent

or

Guardian,

Iamsendingthisletterinordertoprovideyouwiththebestavailableinformation,todiscouragerumorsandtoaskfor

yourassistance. Someofyoumaybeawarethattherehasbeenanincreaseinthenumberofrumorsandchatter

regardingapossibleplannedviolentactatoneofourhighschoolsmostlyintheformofagunbeingbroughttocampus

orapossibleshooting. Wehavealsonoticedatimingpatternforwhentherumorsandthreatsseemtoescalate,

specificallyonFridays. Aswithallthreats,ColumbiaPublicSchoolsandtheColumbiaPoliceDepartmenthavethoroughly

investigatedtherumorsandcanfindnocredibleevidenceorvaliditytothereports.

Wetakethesafetyandsecurityofourschoolsandstudentsveryseriously. Wewillnottoleratethreatsofanynature,

especiallywhentheycausecontinualdisruptiontotheschooldayandresultincountlesshoursofworktodeterminetheir

validityandsecurethesafetyofstudentsandstaff. Inanefforttoeliminatesuchdisruptions,thedistricthasinstitutedthe

followingpolicies

and

procedures

effective

for

Friday,

December

21:

AllhighschoolcampuseswillbeclosedcampusesonFriday,December21. Thismeansstudentswillnotbepermittedto

leaveforlunchorAUT. Studentswillonlybepermittedtoleavecampusifthereisademonstratedacademicneedtodo

so,suchasclassesatMU,theCareerCenter,orotherdesignatedreasons(parttimestudent,employmentorinternship,

parentpermission,etc.)

Therewillbestrictcontrolledaccesstothebuildings. Studentswillonlybeabletoenterandexitthebuildingthrough

designateddoors. Staffwillbestationedatthosedoorstoensurecontrolledaccess.

Ifdeterminednecessary,studentsmaybesearched.

Therewillbeincreasedpolicepatrolsaroundthebuildings.

Theschooldistrictwillcontinuetoimplementthesecontrolledproceduresasnecessaryinordertokeepstudentsandstaff

safeand

stop

the

perpetuation

of

rumors

and

threats.

The

statements

and

rumors

being

spread

constitute

terroristic

threatsandaresubjecttopunishmentaccordingtoBoardofEducationpolicy,whichcouldinclude,butisnotlimitedto,

expulsionfromtheschooldistrict.Studentsalsoneedtobeawarethatlawenforcementagenciesaretakingthesethreats

veryseriouslyandarepursuingprosecutionevenwhensuchincidentsareintendedaspranks.Pleasemakesureyourchild

isawareoftheseramificationsandthatheorsheunderstandshoaxesrelatedtocampussafetywillnotbetolerated.

Weneedtocometogetherasacommunityofstudents,parentsandschoolpersonneltoendthisdisruptionoflearning. I

urgeyoutotalktoyourchildrennowandimpressuponthemtheseriousnessofthreatsandrumorsintodayssociety,

especiallyinlightoftherecenttragedy. Askthemtonotifyyouortheschoolshouldtheyhearofanyplannedorpotential

disruptivebehaviorandtonotbecomepartoftheproblembyspreadingrumorstofriendsorthroughsocialmedia.

Thesafetyofourstudentsandstaffisournumberonepriority,andwewillcontinuetobevigilant. Pleasefeelfreetocall

myofficeorcallyourhighschoolprincipalshouldyouhaveanyquestionsorcomments.

Iappreciateyourcontinuedsupportofasafelearningenvironmentforourstudents.

Sincerely,

ChrisBelcher

Superintendent

1818 West Worley Street (573) 214-340

Columbia, Missouri 65203

Fax: (573) 214-3401

Dr. Chris Belcher

Superintendent of Schools

COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING