School systems nationwide rely on high-level expertise from the U.S. Secret Service and others as they work to stay vigilant for signs of potential student violence, training staff, surveilling social media and urging others to tip them off.
When it comes to how to respond to a possible threat, however, it’s the local educators who make the call.
In the Nov. 30 shooting at an Oxford Township, Michigan high school, authorities say the 15-year-old student charged with killing four peers was allowed to remain in school despite troubling behavior including a drawing of a handgun and a person with bullet wounds. The school’s handling of the student before the shooting is among the topics under investigation.
Security experts and school administrators say there is detailed guidance to help schools recognize concerning behavior and when to intervene. But exactly how to respond, including whether to remove students from school property or involve law enforcement, is for school officials to decide in each individual case.
Educators routinely assess how to deal with behavior that can range from mentions of weapons in social media post to students “joking” about bomb threats, all while weighing safety concerns against a student’s right to an education.