While we do not have any reason to believe that the threat is credible at this time, we are of course not willing to risk the safety of our students or staff. Said another: We would be in a different country if every state in the union had a WILL law firm as busy and active as we have here.. In their opinion and ours, the threat is credible enough that we believe the safest path forward is to call for an eLearning day today so that we can have time to assess the situation. Residents long saw Kiel as a place where families stroll along river banks after grabbing a bite at Dairy Queen. CAMERON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A bomb threat was reported at New Century Middle School on Tuesday afternoon, Moore County School officials said. Harden denies his group is a militia. The reported threat was found written on a wall in one of the bathrooms and was reported to authorities. It's not long before the new dancer is feeling like an old pro! Deliving into the transgender students complaints, he said, would have required hearing the boys version of the story, which would be unproductive. The group is not anti-government, it says, but it helps members restore your communities to a constitutional republic, and hold court proceedings to bring tyrants and criminals to justice.. All Madison-Grant schools will be on an e-learning day for April 14, 2023. At Christmas and the end of the dance year we have a pot-luck dinner prior to dancing. It feels like weve been hijacked by something bigger than Kiel, one school parent said, sitting by the banks of the Sheboygan River. 6:00 PM Board of Education Meeting . School building staff should not report today. School buses have also been the target of terrorist bombings in the Middle East, so it would be wise for school officials to include school bus and transportation facilities in their bomb threat and suspicious device planning and training. Luke Berg, an attorney from the powerful conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), represented the accused boys. Neighbors grew suspicious of neighbors. See our 2015 national study of more than 800 violent school bomb threat and shooting threats. SES Families: Early this morning, we were notified by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department of a bomb threat their office received targeting several Indiana schools. For questions regarding republishing rules please contact Andy Hall, executive director, atahall@wisconsinwatch.org, by Mario Koran / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch July 16, 2022, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. After speaking to local law enforcement and receiving a recommendation from IIFC (Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center), we used the information available to make the best decision we could in a short amount of time. Tony Johannes knew that his school board seat was in jeopardy in April when he read a letter in the newspaper titled God remains in charge. . First, Critical Race Theory is an academic legal theory taught in higher education. Lifetime users of Kiels library, victims rights advocates, grandparents and school board members condemned book-banning. Those who spoke publicly risked stepping into a vicious vortex of Facebook brawls. FORT LAUDERDAL E -- Students and staff at Ramblewood Middle School were evacuated as a precaution on Monday after a bomb threat was received, officials Students were evacuated from Spotswood Elementary in Harrisonburg, Va., on Jan. 11 after a bomb threat was called into the school. Previously, Koran served as a west coast correspondent for the Guardian US and spent five years covering education for Voice of San Diego, where he was named the 2016 reporter of the year by the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. Santa Barbara Police officers and the department's bomb squad arrived at the private school campus, The disputes became heated, leading to an instance in which one of the accused boys threw food at the transgender student, she said. The groups talking points, amplified on social media and in the newspaper, framed school board campaigns. Residents peeked out of windows; few ventured into the streets of this northeastern Wisconsin town of 4,000. The standoff resulted in police killing the parent, who had a gun and seven bomb devices as a part of his siege. The public has yet to hear the transgender students side of the story, and federal privacy laws shield those details. Funkhouser said his police department doesnt generally accept such offers, nor is he aware of local militia activity. Critical race theory is the perfect villain, he told the New Yorker in 2021. That was the moment I realized I was in trouble, he said. And public safety officials certainly do not want school officials touching or moving suspicious items detected by a visual search. Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. But the Wisconsin Republicans are tightening their focus on local politics. Questions about lesson content or resources should be directed to the classroom teacher.Thank you, and stay safe! Considering that today is your last day, I think it is appropriate for you to pray to God. Our study revealed that more than 70% of the threats involved shooting and/or bomb threats. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we investigate the situation. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Lithuanian man arrives in Miami after rowing solo across Atlantic Ocean from Spain, Suspected car thief who led police on cross-county chase captured south of Sunrise Blvd. (Lianne Milton for Wisconsin Watch). When the school district took little action, the ACLU helped her escalate the complaint to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She said she aims to challenge the misinformation threatening the community. By May, Kiels political factions clashed over the direction of schools, public libraries and even the local farmers market. That included the state GOPs injection of $18,000 in Calumet and Manitowoc Counties, where Kiel is located. One local group, Tri-County Citizens, coalesced around an effort to keep CRT out of schools. That includes opposing COVID-19 mask mandates and stopping loan forgiveness for farmers of color across the United States. Henry County Sheriff John Sproles said he was informed early Friday of the threat, which was emailed to the Shenandoah School Corporation. We also want to thank the law enforcement agencies, school administrators, and building grounds staff who showed incredible teamwork today in ensuring the safety of our schools. Copyright 1996-2023 by National School Safety and Security Services. Its to be unique, to be special, he said. Please let us know if you have concerns, suggestions or questions. The call put two books under the microscope. May 18, 2023. Kids are back to their summer activities. Harden began to mobilize folks who felt the same, becoming one of Kiels most prolific organizers. One resident made and sold be the light yard signs, donating the proceedings to the police and fire departments. Another major issue for schools involves conducting of searches following bomb threats. Support investigative reporting with a donation of any size today! One Maryland school district experienced more than 150 bomb threats and 55 associated arrests in one school year. A clean criminal record is essential to proving to the public you are worthy of public servitude, according to the platforms policies. My mother and her family fled Russia and came to America to escape Marxism. Were the threats keeping our feet to the fire to keep pushing us towards a resolution maybe sooner than later? Immediately following Columbine, schools across the nation experienced a spike in bomb threats and related incidents. Another parent said the children were running and screaming, which frightened her. CALUMET CITY, IL A bomb threat was called in Thursday to a Calumet City elementary school, forcing an evacuation, according to WLS. A police search of Carol Moseley Braun Elementary School turned up nothing, and students and staff returned to the building mid-day, WLS reported. Read more from WLS. The parents were outraged at the school for what the families described as the mistaken use of the wrong pronouns using she to address the transgender student, who went by they/them pronouns. Trends Analytics. ISP said it has been working with the Department of Education and various local and federal law enforcement agencies since, and no suspicious or explosive devices have been found in any schools. The threat was not written in English, Sproles said, and translated to: "One of your schools has a bomb inside. At the Appleton gathering, Berg affably walked the audience through the narrative of Kiels Title IX episode that his group offered media outlets: a simple disagreement about pronoun use spurred a sexual harrassment investigation. But sometime over the past two years, an insidious force began tearing at the communitys fabric, about two dozen residents told Wisconsin Watch. ; 2nd car thief still at large, 7-year-old girl airlifted after being bitten by dog in Miami Gardens, Investigations underway after 2 pest control workers die, 3rd critically ill after weekend work at Pompano Beach warehouse, BSO: Father charged after accidentally placing loaded gun in students bag. Bergs narrative remains difficult to verify because records remain confidential and the transgender student at the heart of the story has not shared their perspective. Technology can be used to catch people, but can also be used to hide or conceal identities and location, Funkhouser said. Numerous local residents have called Funkhouser a steady, singular voice of leadership throughout the crisis while Mayor Mike Steinhardt and other city officials remained silent. The librarys trouble started in November 2021, when a man called police to claim that he spotted pornography on the shelves. But in the early days of the pandemic, writer Christopher Rufo sharpened the phrase into a kind of weaponized, catch-all for the woke racial ideologies that progressives back and conservatives scorn. Noblesville, Center Grove, Lebanon and Noblesville were among the school districts that canceled in-person classes Friday, April 14. The Hall is an excellent facility that provides two floors for dancing, if needed, and the use of a kitchen for our party nights. Marion Community Schools was among several schools across the state that were sent an email that contained a bomb threat. Student assignments will be posted by 12 p.m. Have a good weekend, Argylls! A news event shook Kiel in mid-May. There is ample parking in the rear of the Church. Users can republish our photos, illustrations, graphics and multimedia elements ONLY with stories with which they originally appeared. Eventually all schools, the public library, city hall, wastewater treatment plant, stores and all roads into and out of the city. Shane Konen said hell closely scrutinize down ballot races for positions like alderperson or city clerk those that typically draw little attention but play a crucial role in democracy. We apologize for the inconvenience this undoubtedly caused students and families today. Funkhouser confirmed WILLs cooperation during the police investigation. Over nine days, six emailed bomb threats would land in school, police and news media inboxes, and the list of targets grew. And he described WILLs involvement as callous and self-serving. The spokesperson said Greenwood Community Schools has extra police at the schools as a precaution. We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday and appreciate your understanding in the decision we made today. Unfortunately, many schools historically handled bomb threats and suspicious devices rather poorly. Gabrielle Draxler, a Kiel native who works as a librarian in southeastern Wisconsin, drove two hours to attend the library meeting in May because she believed its subtext was clear: At a time when Republican-sponsored bills were targeting transgender students, the attempted book banning seemed to signal that LGBTQ community members were not welcome in Kiel. We invite people to come and see what modern square dancing is all about as it is quite different from traditional square dancing. Codd confirmed that BSOs Bomb Squad and BSOs Threat Management Unit are on campus investigating. The districts swift closure of the investigation will send a chilling message to schools and districts that protecting transgender students could put them in danger, said Elizabeth Tang, senior counsel for education and workplace justice at the National Womens Law Center. But it was only one battle in a larger war. Mailing address: Lebanon Community School Corporation will utilize an eLearning day on April 14, 2023 due to a matter of school safety.Students will not report to school. Dont sell ads against the story. Since leaving an internship with Wisconsin Watch in 2013, Korans work has appeared in The New York Times, The Appeal, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among others. We like to visit retirement and long-term care homes and other community events to dance for their entertainment and our well-being, as a Club and as a person! Its not liberal versus conservative. Avoid evacuating students into school parking lot areas to reduce the risk of potentially exposing them to additional explosive devices placed in vehicles and/or easily hidden in parking areas. A blanket exemption in that policy appears to give the board broad power in extraordinary circumstances.. We keep a copy on the Info Table for dancers to look at. We have an Executive, a Caller and a fun bunch of members! Some of the communication coming from Mr. Harden around the farmers market seems to thinly veil his political views and motivations, which are extreme and discriminatory in nature, the letter said. The rhetoric mobilized the groups nearly 200 members. It was nine-times more than state Democrats sent to the two county parties. Wisconsin Watch will dive deeper into the episode in a follow up story. The district is one of 35 across the state of Indiana that received the same threat late last night. -- to which we bring finger foods. School officials immediately evacuated school grounds as police responded to the school. (Lianne Milton for Wisconsin Watch). Our Club Caller is Ron Gardner, our President is Andre Blais and the Past President is Bill Shields. One, Making a Baby, deals with pregnancy; the other, Its Perfectly Normal, contains illustrations of human anatomy, gender and sexuality. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. These dance performances are done strictly on a volunteer basis. P.O. Others left their porch lights on at night a symbol for combatting the dark times. Indiana State Police said it was notified early Friday morning of the messages, which threatened "the use of explosive devices that had allegedly been planted on various school campuses.". On June 2, school board members emerged from a closed meeting to pronounce the Title IX investigation closed in an unsigned letter. This is a concern that should factor into evacuation considerations. Were planning and looking forward to the next Boys and Girls Club dinner/dance. The bullied student eventually transferred to a more diverse neighboring school district, where he graduated this spring. Its a one page document, and the whole description is mispronouning, Berg said. Weve been dancing at Wesley United Church Fellowship Hall at 275 Pembroke Street East in Pembroke since the club was formed. Because either you have to affiliate yourself with a party, or you have to have a large war chest of your own.. There are no square dance competitions or exams. Instructions for the elementary can be found here and middle/high school here. It was a great win, Berg, the WILL attorney, proclaimed three days after the boards announcement. Nixed. Dr. Barrentine will be sending additional information shortly. Did the bomb threats mean that the backlash had gotten out of hand? Berg confirmed that notes from the music teacher included a handful of incidents that had been left out of WILLs narrative, all of which centered around misuse of the students pronouns. Sign up for our free story updates and Friday news roundups. Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. Teachers will communicate with students and their have lessons posted by 10:00 a.m. Only essential staff should report to school, and you will be notified directly if you need to report. School staff ranging from custodians to principals, and even some security and former police officers, have reportedly picked up suspected devices and moved them around school property, delayed calling police, and taken other dangerous steps which could have possibly been prevented through adequate training, crisis planning, and related measures. The decision to close was made out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with the Center Grove Police Department, Homeland Security, and other agencies. Ive seen fascism, Ive seen terror. For Draxler, the vote to keep the books represented a larger victory for the city. Harden said he filmed the campaign videos for all three challengers and built their websites. In a video, Ryan Harden, leader of Common Sense Kiel and the parent of a middle schooler, connected the issue to schools by pointing to a policy that allows people to return public library books to a school library. Mid-Term Progress Reports Go Home . The challengers did not respond to Wisconsin Watchs interview requests. A number of cases have occurred nationwide where bomb threat calls and messages were made by students using smart phones. We want to again thank students, parents, and families for their understanding and flexibility today. In an abundance of caution, I asked Edinburgh Police Department to maintain a police presence at our schools today, and they graciously agreed. The public may view the reports by going to WSVN.com and clicking on "FCC Public File", or by visiting the FCC's website at FCC.org. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. They want to attract money, and they want prestige., Kiel High School was among several named targets of bomb threats in Kiel, Wis. But as the school board election approached, challengers began accusing the library of providing pornography to children. But this is a tactic that has to be very strategically used so it doesnt get out of hand.. We discuss diversity, the letter stated. Work with local law enforcement authorities from the jurisdiction of your individual school to determine protocols for evaluating bomb threats and procedures for evacuations. INDIANAPOLIS Several dozen central Indiana school districts canceled in-person learning Friday, April 14, after a bomb threat was emailed to the districts, Plans and training should include issues related to bombs threats focused upon school buses, suspicious devices on buses and at transportation facilities, and actual explosions aboard and around school buses. A message Wisconsin Watch sent to their family went unreturned. Rabidoux said conflict between her son and the transgender student started in November 2021 and lasted through April, and the teachers notes reflected coversations spanning various days. Questions loom about how the outcome of a Title IX investigation in Kiel, Wis. might affect future Wisconsin school investigations and about what Kiels saga indicates about the trajectory of Wisconsins democracy. Wisconsin Watch But sometime over the past two years, an insidious force began tearing at the communitys fabric, about two dozen residents told Wisconsin Watch. Graduation ceremonies were postponed. One major issue facing most school districts is whether to evacuate schools on bomb threats. Many school bomb threats have been made by students seeking to disrupt the school day and to get out of school. Still, all threats must be treated seriously and thoroughly investigated and managed. Rabidoux, the mother of one of the boys scrutinized in the Title IX proceeding, said she also contributed to the groups efforts, and Mike Joas, elected to the school board in April, attended meetings. The content of the books was clearly intended, in my opinion, to be educational and informative, not erotic in nature, Funkhouser wrote in a report. Eventually all schools, the public library, city hall, wastewater treatment plant, stores and all roads into and out of the city. School board trustee Long said the board followed the districts policies for Title IX complaints, but declined to elaborate, citing confidentiality provisions. Even before the bomb threats, the possibility of violence chilled conversations. COVID has affected our club activities as it has most everything else. Some things are not up and running yet as before (for example, the Square Time publication is only on-line at present). We require proof of at least three vaccinations and, though not mandatory, we encourage dancers to wear masks for the time being. A Kiel music teachers report flagged four or five incidents between the boys and the transgender student, Berg said. Did we cave? The following school districts also reported delays/closings Friday: A spokesperson with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office told 13News that not all Johnson County schools received the threat. While the spike in these type of incidents leveled off in the months and years following Columbine, there are still a number of incidents each school year involving bomb threats, suspicious devices, plans to use bombs in school violence plots, and the actual use of explosives. facebook.com/swingingSwallows. In April, Ty Bodden, who chairs the Republican Party of Calumet County, announced his state Assembly candidacy by touting an 80% success rate in managing local school and county races. Classes were canceled Wednesday in District 149, which includes six schools in the Calumet City area. It We all had a great time at the first event when Andy gathered old and young together in a big square to start the dancing! Deputies said South Lake High School in Groveland was evacuated just after 8 a.m. The FBI has offered assistance as law enforcement continues to search for whomever issued the bomb threats that paralyzed Kiel. Rabidoux wants assurance that the investigation will be removed from the boys student records and said her children will transfer to a private school next year. But after word spread in May that Harden would help lead this years farmers market, 66 residents implored city leaders to closely monitor Hardens leadership, citing his outward display of anti-LGTBQ speech, among other issues, according to a letter obtained by Wisconsin Watch. The attack at Columbine High School triggered bomb threats and attention to the need for school and police officials to assess threats versus automatically evacuating as a best practice. Immediately following Columbine, schools across the nation experienced a spike in bomb threats and related incidents. Managing School Bomb Threats, Suspicious Packages and Evacuation Issues Our groundbreaking2015 national study of more than 800 violent school bomb threat and shooting threatstook our research to a higher level by collecting original data and dissecting critical trends and patterns. So the districts theory appears to be that any misuse of pronouns is automatically sexual harassment under Title IX and is punishable speech., Even if the comments were inappropriate or rude, he said, they wouldnt rise to the level of sexual harrassment under Title IX, which defines it as so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies a person equal educational access.. People are really amped up, an officer said while confirming the reporters identification. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police cruiser is parked at Kennedy Middle School in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Recognize that some bombers, terrorists, and related offenders who plant bombs also place secondary explosive devices to harm first responders and others after an initial bomb is located and/or exploded. The Swinging Swallows Square Dance Club is a registered not-for-profit Ottawa Valley organization. The weaponization of CRT had worked making a faction in Kiel more concerned about a manufactured threat than the documented bullying of a Black student. Speaking to Wisconsin Watch, more than a dozen residents accused Harden of fueling local vitriol. Many schools across the nation do not automatically evacuate their schools upon receiving a bomb threat. For additional information, contactKen Trump. Candidates vowed to keep pornographic materials out of schools.. I wouldnt wish it on anybody. For the moment, daily life in Kiel has resumed its normal rhythm. Its not the Taliban, and its certainly not 1939 Germany.. 6:00 PM Bilingual PAC . Upon receipt of the message, we For that reason, and out of an overabundance of caution, I am calling an e-learning day today, on Friday, April 14th. The right wing extremists will see that this tactic has worked, she said. The roadways around the school have been closed Mmmmmm. The point of publicizing this was to point out that the district took what is a garden variety dispute among middle schoolers, and blew it out of proportion and turned it into a Title IX investigation, Berg told Wisconsin Watch. The Democratic Party was caught a little flat-footed in terms of injecting money, Shaver said. (WILLs) motivations are very obvious: They want to be the preeminent culture warrior firm in the nation. Others mocked the concept of transgender identitities. The Advertizing and Publicity persons are Doug & Gloria Bateman. Maintain filters on school computers to reduce the risks of students gaining access to bomb-making web sites. Because hes white and straight? As the story ricocheted across the mediascape, hateful messages poured in to school staff, according to Kiel police. Effectively holding Kiels core institutions hostage, an anonymous emailerwarned the school district to drop the Title IX investigation by June 3 or face additional threats. Were getting calls about everything.. Around 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, Santa Barbara Middle School received a bomb threat. Questions loom about how the outcome might affect future Wisconsin school investigations and about what Kiels saga indicates about the trajectory of Wisconsins democracy. Like the Orange Public Schools incident, anxiety ran high in this universitys school community. High-profile school violence cases and other national incidents, along with easy access to formulas for homemade bombs on the Internet, have contributed to concerns about bomb threats, suspicious devices, and homemade bombs in schools, on school grounds and on school buses. Backlash forced him to transfer and upended life for others in town. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Oh. Our team has been working on this situation since early this morning. The Club has an annual membership drive every September (usually the second and third Thursdays after Labour Day). May 19, 2023. Thats right, Steinhardt said when a reporter pointed out the lack of communication from his office. SD132 in partnership with the Calumet Park Recreational Center and Workstudy Enterprises, Inc. provided ongoing activities that students experienced at the But Rabidoux said the transgender student actually bullied her son and she repeatedly expressed concerns to school staff. The Washington County Sheriffs Office says they believe a man in Thomson, Georgia is responsible for allegedly calling in multiple bomb threats. A final notification about athletic and ECA events will be communicated as soon as we have made a determination. Crime Map. He also appeared to be financially outmatched. The towns turmoil offers deeply divided Wisconsin an extreme example of what can happen when partisan misinformation aggravates the resentment and distrust already festering in a community. Students had gone home days ago after the first bomb threat, and they would finish the school year virtually. Sports games canceled. All events are canceled. In fact, discussions of such strategies alone has reportedly resulted in decreased bomb threats at some schools. Smoky clouds hung like the pall that had enveloped the town in recent weeks.

Scdhec Water Quality Tool, Handmade Jewellery Cornwall, Articles C