‘Inappropriate comments’ spark threat investigation at Paso Robles High School
For the fifth time in recent weeks, SLO County parents were warned Monday of an online threat made at a local school.
Paso Robles High School administration sent out an email to parents Monday afternoon alerting them of a “rumor of a potential threat circulating PRHS campus.”
According to the email, provided to The Tribune by Paso Robles Unified School District Director of Student Services Joseph Williams, school staff and the Paso Robles Police department “took swift action” to investigate the potential threat.
“Local authorities and school administrators are following through and holding individuals responsible for their inappropriate comments,” read the email. “Please note that even when comments are made in jest, we hold students accountable for their actions according to the California Education Code. No threat of violence or weapons are in any way humorous to our educational environment.”
Williams told The Tribune on Tuesday the threat was made on campus.
“The comment was said in jest and taken seriously by a classmate,” Williams said. “As such, we are working hard to continuously remind students that all comments, even those said flippantly and in jest, are being taken seriously and issuing consequences as appropriate.”
A request for comment from the Paso Robles Police Department was not returned Monday evening.
“This reminds us of the importance for us as parents and educators to talk to our students about the significance of their comments related to potential violence and/or online posts,” continued the email. “Both the school and local authorities take every comment whether in person or on social media post very seriously and we will follow through with appropriate disciplinary consequences.”
The school also urged parents to monitor their child’s social media activity, and to utilize the district and school’s anonymous tiplines (available at https://www.pasoschools.org/domain/712 and https://www.pasoschools.org/domain/714) to report any suspicious or concerning activity.
This is at least the fifth reported threat to be made at a San Luis Obispo County school in recent weeks.
The most recent occurred in Morro Bay last week, where a social media threat was made against an individual student, warning of an incident Dec. 5. Administration and police intervened, and no incident took place.
Prior to that, two threats — one at Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo and another at San Luis Obispo High School — were found to be TikTok-related pranks, warning of school shootings on specific days.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested in mid-November after making criminal threats on social media against Arroyo Grande High School.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 7:16 PM.
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