Online threats cause schools to close in numerous Connecticut towns

Friday, Sept. 20, all Bristol, Bridgeport and Torrington public schools were closed due to threats of violence made online.

Additionally, The Hartford Courant reported, “Schools in Ansonia closed on Thursday [Sept. 19] as police in multiple towns investigated threats made over social media, including one that led to charges against a 13-year-old girl.” The child who confessed to making the threat was arrested on charges of first-degree threatening, and second-degree breach of peace, and she was referred to juvenile court.

Jenna Brown, Norfolk resident, town postal clerk, and concerned parent, said, “My son is a freshman at Oliver Wolcott in Torrington. I got a text from the superintendent at 10 p.m. this past Thursday night that school was closed Friday. The text did not mention the reason why and that was very nerve-racking.”

Brown continued, “Once I learned it was a threat made on social media, I asked my son if he knew of any kind of gun threat circulating on Snapchat. Apparently, there was a picture of firearms being reposted all over Snapchat with a caption naming certain schools and how they better watch out. I told him how important it was that if he sees something like this, he needs to tell me immediately.”

“As a parent, you must communicate with your children about bullying and threats online. My daughters woke up on Friday morning and asked why their big brother Vinny wasn’t in school. I had to explain to my five- and eight-year-old that someone made a threat toward Torrington schools. If we parents don’t keep that line of communication open, there could be life or death consequences.”

Winsted parents, teachers, and students at Pearson School are still rattled by a recent report of a gun on a school bus last week, which was not a credible threat. Winsted Mayor Todd Arcelaschi showed concern, “These are trying times that we live in, with these school incidents not only in our area but in Connecticut and nationwide. But one of the big issues is accountability. We need to hold children, and their parents, responsible for their actions on social media.”

“To prevent threats from spreading on social media, consequences need to be severe,” continued Brown. “A suspension that lasts two weeks, expulsion, or even arrest by the police. When a student gets caught making a threat, it’s important to get to the root of the problem. What is the student’s life like at home? They may have a very hard life. Most people know something like this is serious. There should be consequences, but we must prioritize the mental health of students who get in trouble for making serious threats.”