Cedar Rapids schools taking ‘proactive safety measures’ after social media threat

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Community School District is resuming classes Tuesday and taking “proactive safety measures” after classes were canceled Monday because of a threat made on social media.

Students are not allowed to bring backpacks, bags or purses unless it is a clear, see-through bag. Lunchboxes are allowed but will be examined by staff. High school students will not be allowed to be released for lunch.

“A serious threat was made over social media by an anonymous person over the weekend,” district officials said in an email to families Monday. “Due to the seriousness of the situation, it was important that we address the issue effectively and responsibly for the safety and well-being of our students, staff and the entire school community.”

School, day care and athletic activities were canceled Monday for staff and students in the district and an “all campus closure” declared for the safety of all students and staff.

District officials are encouraging families to discuss the situation with their students and the importance of reporting any suspicious or potentially threatening activity to an adult as soon as possible. “Emphasize that such actions have severe consequences, even if the threat is made in jest,” the email said.

Counselors and other crisis support teams will be available this week for students who have concerns about this incident, the email said. Superintendent Tawana Grover or students’ teachers will discuss safety concerns Tuesday and social media threats with students using “age-appropriate” language.

“Threats against our school are treated very seriously, and students determined to have made such threats face consequences through our school’s code of conduct and potential legal consequences,” the email said.

Extra staff from the district office will be on school grounds to help assist students entering the building and be “extra eyes and ears” around the school, according to the email.

No early classes, no backpacks Tuesday

There will be no early bird classes or morning practices and activities before the start of school Tuesday. Students should not arrive at a high school or middle school before 7:15 a.m. or at an elementary school before 8:30 a.m. except for Champions day care.

Students and staff must access each school building using only one or two designated entrance locations before, during and after the school day. The designated entrances will be indicated with signs.

School bus transportation and Champions before- and after-school day care will operate normally.

Students should only bring their Chromebook and school supplies needed for the day. If a student does arrive at school with a backpack, purse or non-clear bag, school staff will ask them to remove the items they need for the day. The bag will be placed in the school office until school is dismissed.

Students may take lunchboxes to school, but school staff will be examining them when the student arrives at school.

Feminine hygiene products will be available from the school nurse’s office if students need them and they don’t want to carry them in their pockets or clear bag.

All adult visitors in school buildings will have their bags and purses examined by school staff.

“We know you are likely concerned, anxious and uneasy hearing about this threat and about sending your student to school tomorrow,” district officials said in the email to families. “The goal is to ensure all students feel safe and know that threats against our schools are treated very seriously.”

Investigation into threat continues

An investigation into the threat is being conducted by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, state public safety agencies and the FBI.

As of a Sunday night news release, the Cedar Rapids Police Department had not identified any suspects or made any arrests.

Cedar Rapids police “investigators began working immediately to identify the nature of the threat and its source. This has become a complex investigation and all leads are being examined closely,” the release states.

A threat made to a school can result in a number of possible charges, depending on the specific scenario, according to Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks.

Maybanks didn’t give specifics of what charges could be filed in this case, but said if a school threat was made “with the intent to provoke fear or anger in another, the threat involved a dangerous weapon, and it was directed at the occupants of a building or an assembly of people putting those people in reasonable apprehension the threat could be carried out” the perpetrator could be charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

A person could also be charged with threats, a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison, if a threat was made involving arson or bombing at a place where people or property would be in danger.

Misdemeanor offenses could also apply, like harassment or — if multiple people worked together to create a threat — conspiracy, according to Maybanks.

Someone giving a false report of a threat could be charged with false reports, a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.

All of these charges would be filed in juvenile court if the offender were a minor, but the state could request they be waived to adult court if prosecutors felt the offense was serious enough, Maybanks said.

The Marion Police Department Monday issued a statement saying it was aware of the social media threats impacting other school districts. Linn-Mar schools, however, in Marion, has not been directly mentioned.

“It does not appear, at this time, that a credible threat exists,” the police department said in a news release. “Linn-Mar and the Marion Police Department have been in regular communication regarding this issue and we will continue to monitor the situation while planning for a normal school day.”

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