By Chris Edwards
news@tylercountybooster.com
WOODVILLE – Woodville ISD announced that it was investigating two different threatening situations last week, including one which originated out-of-state by way of social media.
In a statement from WISD, released last Thursday, the district had been notified, initially, of a report that a student had made threatening statements against the school, which drew an investigation between WISD and the Woodville Police Department.
The district stated in a Facebook post that “the safety and security of our school and students are our top priority. Please know, we always take these situations seriously and investigate them fully.”
The second incident included a Facebook post, which originated in Ohio. The district noted that the post, which had gone viral, caused “anxiety among our students, staff and parents,” but upon investigation, it was learned of its origin last Wednesday, and was being handled by law enforcement there, and was “completely unrelated to Woodville ISD.”
WISD Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg issued a statement to follow up on both incidents, on Friday. Meysembourg said that the post, which mentioned Woodville ISD, included the statement “shoot up the buckeye locals,” had nothing to do with WISD, aside from the district’s Facebook profile being mentioned within the post.
“There is a concerning trend across the country of both credible and non-credible threats of violence against schools,” Meysembourg said. “We want to emphasize that Woodville ISD takes every threat seriously, and each one is thoroughly investigated and addressed.”
Meysembourg said that the district utilizes Apptegy Thrillshare for all its emergency mass communications and safety notifications to parents and guardians. The platform includes the ROOMS application, which allows for two-way communication between parents/guardians and WISD via text messages and emails.
Additionally, Meysembourg said that if there is any concern or credible information on anything on social media, parents/guardians should contact the school district or law enforcement directly. “We urge parents and guardians to avoid spreading rumors,” she said. “Social media can fuel unnecessary panic and hinder efforts to investigate and address real concerns.”
