FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County Public Schools is shining a spotlight on campus safety in the wake of several social media threats targeting schools.
School district officials on Tuesday unveiled a new social media campaign that they hope will reach far and wide.
The campaign, called #ThinkB4UPost, aims to remind students and parents that posting a threat can be catastrophic to a young life.
“Just with one post, they can end up really changing the course of their lives,” said BCPS spokesperson Keyla Concepcion.
In October, social media threats were made at five different schools in Broward County. One of them was serious enough for a 10th grader at Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale to be charged with transmitting a written threat.
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Larry Scirotto provided further details at the time in a news conference.
“We found him to have the means to carry out the threat, and we found that he had the intent to do so,” he said.
Students at Stranahan went to school under code yellow conditions.
“You’re not allowed to leave the class without an escort, and you’re not allowed to walk around campus,” said a student.
The teen who, police said, posted the threat has likely been expelled. Instead of preparing for finals, he’s preparing a legal defense.
“It leads to not just expulsion, but also in many cases, arrests, and that’s something that can follow you for the rest of your life,” said Concepcion.
This is the message that school district officials are desperate to get across: a quick tweet from your phone can change your life for the worse.
“We want to make sure that everyone is educated about the consequences and just the lasting impact that this can leave in the life of a child,” said Concepcion.
Because no parent wants to communicate with their child through court hearings.
The #ThinkB4UPost hashtag is not the only one social media users will see. School district officials said they will work with agencies across South Florida in the coming weeks and months to keep this message moving forward.
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