May 15, 2023. 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.. Just days earlier, a group of 70 local teachers sought to correct CRT-related inaccuracies in their own letter to the editor. All rights reserved. A number of cases have occurred nationwide where bomb threat calls and messages were made by students using smart phones. He also appeared to be financially outmatched. Others left their porch lights on at night a symbol for combatting the dark times. Codd confirmed that BSOs Bomb Squad and BSOs Threat Management Unit are on campus investigating. The call put two books under the microscope. A final notification about athletic and ECA events will be communicated as soon as we have made a determination. 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. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp In April 2012, the University of Pittsburgh experienced a series of bomb threats that resulted in school officials choosing to repeatedly evacuate the school and heighten security measures. We revealed this emerging trend more than five years ago. As tensions escalated during the bomb scares, Funkhouser called on Kiel residents to be the light and stay positive. Eight boys confessed to making three homemade bombs, two of which were placed at a Minnesota elementary school. Several public buildings in Kiel, Wis., including City Hall, have been targets of multiple bomb threats. Harden denies his group is a militia. Our spring campaign goal is to reach 100 new or returning members (readers who donate to support our nonprofit newsroom). 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. But as the school board election approached, challengers began accusing the library of providing pornography to children. WebDepartment of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. Were appreciative of his offer, but to my knowledge, weve never taken them up on any of his offers, Funkhouser said. Matt Mencarini contributed reporting. Milwaukee, WI 53205, The Kiel school districts closure of a Title IX investigation under pressure sends a chilling message expert says. The rationale for this request is that the facility users (teachers, support staff, administrators, etc.) (WILLs) motivations are very obvious: They want to be the preeminent culture warrior firm in the nation. Were planning and looking forward to the next Boys and Girls Club dinner/dance. Consider blocking incoming calls made from phones using caller ID block. 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. 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. Several of its recent lawsuits target protections for transgender students, including challenging Madison Metropolitan School Districts allowance of students to choose their pronouns without informing parents. WebEight boys confessed to making three homemade bombs, two of which were placed at a Minnesota elementary school. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. One major issue facing most school districts is whether to evacuate schools on bomb threats. Instead, they simply ask employees to look around and report suspicious items or things out of place so public safety responders can then follow-up with those particular items. Ten bombs, fireworks strapped to aerosol cans, forced the closure of a California elementary school. Its a one page document, and the whole description is mispronouning, Berg said. Thats right, Steinhardt said when a reporter pointed out the lack of communication from his office. Our team will spend today working with our local law enforcement and other appropriate agencies to further investigate this threat, and also ensure the safety of every one of our schools. It was the crossroads of COVID, isolation, bad grades, bad teaching policies, bad administration, he said. There are no square dance competitions or exams. Ross provided the following statement to 13News on the decision to stay open: "I received the email a little before 11 p.m. last night. Your website must include a prominent way to contact you. As we continue collaborating with our Speedway Police, Indianapolis Police Department, and other agencies, we are taking every recommended precaution and following prescribed safety protocols for bomb threats to ensure safety. Police searched all schools in the district and found nothing. 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. Cloquet High School, Middle School Evacuated After Bomb Threat Police in northern Minnesota responded Wednesday to a bomb threat at Cloquet High School. 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.". He has mixed feelings, however, about the violent threats used to pressure the board. This is about standing up for all the kids and educating them and making it inclusive.. This is a concern that should factor into evacuation considerations. You know, they dont have any keys to the gates around the school? She took the messages to school officials, and the superintendent eventually filed a complaint on her behalf with the school district. Have a well-developed crisis communications and social media plan to get accurate information to parents, the media, staff and students. CALUMET CITY, IL A bomb threat was called in Thursday to a Calumet City elementary school, forcing an evacuation, according to WLS. Kiels paralysis in late May and early June followed a descent into incivility that shares elements of school board fights across the country fueled by a cocktail of political tribalism, COVID-19 anxiety, false claims of election fraud and racial tensions following the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd. 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.. Funkhouser confirmed WILLs cooperation during the police investigation. On June 2, school board members emerged from a closed meeting to pronounce the Title IX investigation closed in an unsigned letter. Residents long saw Kiel as a place where families stroll along river banks after grabbing a bite at Dairy Queen. Were getting calls about everything.. -- to which we bring finger foods. Dont sell the story it may not be marketed as an individual product. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. Then he worked to flip the school board to advance his brand of conservatism. 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.. It always ends in terror. We found that 30% of the schools evacuated and 10% closed school, oftentimes unnecessarily doing so, which revealed a need for school threat assessment training. All kindergarten-8th grade after-school activities and athletics are canceled today. The librarys trouble started in November 2021, when a man called police to claim that he spotted pornography on the shelves. He rallied others to get involved over social media. We informed staff and parents just before school this morning once we had the most accurate and up to date information. Any reasonable person would conclude that an anti-trans terrorist used threats to force the school to close its Title IX investigation.. The attack at Columbine High School triggered bomb In 2022, nearly every local race became partisan. Theyve chosen not to reveal everything, and theyre not obligated to, he said. The threat said that bombs in backpacks would explode in the school and that students would be shot after the explosions, Police Chief Fred Ryan told reporters. In the backdrop, mass shootings first in Buffalo, New York, then Uvalde, Texas only heightened fears. They had to cut the fence. All events are canceled. Mid-Term Progress Reports Go Home . Parents and students, please check your email for more information. If you have any questions about your childs particular activity, please reach out via Parentsquare to your childs principal or coach. There is always cold water available, and tea and coffee cost a quarter per cup! It could take time, but were not stopping.. A Kiel music teachers report flagged four or five incidents between the boys and the transgender student, Berg said. It turned into a big talking point: We need those candidates to save us from the pornography, even though no one seems to be able to show us that it exists, Johannes said. Long, the school board member, called the public narrative about the Title IX complaint partial and one-sided. CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - A lockdown at Ramblewood Middle School has been lifted after police investigated a bomb threat that was made to the Nothing suspicious was located in Shenandoah School Corporation buildings during a search, Sproles said. Homeland Security is investigating this situation. I spoke to the Edinburgh Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. Because either you have to affiliate yourself with a party, or you have to have a large war chest of your own.. 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. Although four people died during the episode and about 150 law enforcement officers were injured, Bidens confirmed victory most bothered Harden. Our Club Caller is Ron Gardner, our President is Andre Blais and the Past President is Bill Shields. 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. Parents urged Kiel High School to respond to racial bullying their teen faced at school. Berg rejected the suggestion from critics not in the Appleton audience thatWILL and the families of the accused boys fanned the outrage that culminated in bomb threats by going public with their defense. 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. When I saw that other schools were closing, I contacted their superintendents and asked them what information led to them closing. Closer than this community has ever felt as it pertains to physical violence.. CRT is a decades-old academic concept asserting that white supremacy from Americas past lives on in its laws and institutions shaping racial disparities across society today. The same issues that roiled conservatives in Kiel showed up in nearby school districts, Shaver added, but they didnt draw the same level of animosity as in Kiel. Berg acknowledged to Wisconsin Watch that WILL withheld some details from the narrative it pushed to the media, including hyper-partisan juggernauts Newsmax and Fox News Laura Ingraham. When the school district took little action, the ACLU helped her escalate the complaint to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. ; 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. Its going to go through the school boards.. Maintain filters on school computers to reduce the risks of students gaining access to bomb-making web sites. Officers from the Munising City Police Department A January, 1999, explosion in a high school locker in Kansas City sent 11 students to the hospital. The investigation may take weeks or years, but Funkhouser said hes a patient man. Members of Tri-County Citizens and other local conservatives fueled the outrage. The groups talking points, amplified on social media and in the newspaper, framed school board campaigns. For that reason, and out of an overabundance of caution, I am calling an e-learning day today, on Friday, April 14th. In 2013, bomb threats shut down schools in the Cleveland area, including in Strongsville and Olmsted Falls, as school officials evacuated and shut down school following threats. WebCalumet: [geographical name] industrial region of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois southeast of and adjacent to Chicago including the cities of East Chicago, Gary, Berg said WILL helped law enforcement by publicly condemning the threats and emailing the person who sent them, after obtaining the persons email from police. Families have returned to their riverbank strolls. All students were reported safe and let out of school early. She said she aims to challenge the misinformation threatening the community. It felt like I was bringing a spoon to a knife fight, Johannes said. A year ago, two weeks ago, I wouldnt have expected any of this. Officials at Clements High School said Statewide, school board races traditionally are sleepy, nonpartisan contests in which campaigns might raise a few hundred dollars, said Matt Rothschild, executive director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks money in politics. The challengers did not respond to Wisconsin Watchs interview requests. But this is a tactic that has to be very strategically used so it doesnt get out of hand.. Berg said WILL aimed to protect both sides by withholding the notes from its narrative. That includes opposing COVID-19 mask mandates and stopping loan forgiveness for farmers of color across the United States. The group stays in touch with law enforcement and has offered to collaborate not armed, just to be a valuable asset, during any civil unrest, he said. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police cruiser is parked at Kennedy Middle School in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Noblesville, Center Grove, Lebanon and Noblesville were among the school districts that canceled in-person classes Friday, April 14. And he described WILLs involvement as callous and self-serving. The water was boiling, and when (the Title IX investigation) came to the light, it really kind of brought the pot to a full boil and overflowed at times.. The anti-CRT messages spilled onto the pages of the Tri-County News, Kiels newspaper. Harden said he filmed the campaign videos for all three challengers and built their websites. After speaking with both law enforcement agencies and a thorough sweep of each school building, we agreed to continue to monitor the situation throughout the evening. Speedway released the following statement shortly before 11:30 a.m.: We are pleased to report that all Speedway Schools are cleared and safe following the bomb threat. We have an Executive, a Caller and a fun bunch of members! Their challengers attack lines morphed faster than they could respond, roping in other Kiel institutions along the way. Everything we know so far. UPDATE 11:10am: The code red for Ramblewood Middle School has been lifted. Treating each and every threat seriously. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A Fort Bend ISD student has been arrested for possessing bomb-making materials. These guidelines are designed to help site decision makers of facilities and schools respond to a bomb threat in an orderly and controlled manner with first responders and other stakeholders. Ive seen fascism, Ive seen terror. Questions loom about how the outcome might affect future Wisconsin school investigations and about what Kiels saga indicates about the trajectory of Wisconsins democracy. The Kiel Public Librarys trouble started in November 2021, when a man called police to claim that he spotted pornography on the shelves. Support investigative reporting with a donation of any size today! Many who spoke to a reporter requested anonymity and out-of-view meeting spots. It Now its here in the form of CRT! wrote Dennis Steinhardt, the brother of Kiel Mayor Michael Steinhardt. The spokesperson said Greenwood Community Schools has extra police at the schools as a precaution. One, Making a Baby, deals with pregnancy; the other, Its Perfectly Normal, contains illustrations of human anatomy, gender and sexuality. But it was only one battle in a larger war. Wisconsin Watch will dive deeper into the episode in a follow up story. Johannes, who held his seat for only six months after his appointment to the board, describes himself as just a math teacher from Sheboygan who likes to watch the Bucks. The letter in the paper confused him; he and his family are church-going Christians he previously served as his churchs president, he said, and hed never endorsed CRT. Crime Map. Deliving into the transgender students complaints, he said, would have required hearing the boys version of the story, which would be unproductive. No other districts in Henry County received the threat, though the sheriff's department notified other districts of the situation. Since we saw the email last night, we had the advantage of more time to ensure student and staff safety.". The investigation violated the boys right to free speech, he argued. More details will be provided as soon as possible. We want to again thank students, parents, and families for their understanding and flexibility today. That case is pending as courts decide whether the plaintiffs that WILL is representing may remain anonymous. Still, all threats must be treated seriously and thoroughly investigated and managed. At 6:54 a.m. today (Friday, April 14, 2023), the school corporation was notified of a bomb threat. Rose Rabidoux, the mother of one of the accused boys, added that the teacher documented incidents across multiple days, not an isolated conversation in class. facebook.com/swingingSwallows. In July 2020, two months after Floyds murder and amid nationwide protests against violence inflicted upon Black Americans, the mother of a Black Kiel High School student discovered racist messages in her sons football teammate group chat. We are concerned with the number of schools around the country immediately jumping to evacuations, often by pulling the fire alarm without the fire department knowing that such a procedure is being used for bomb threat evacuation rather than an actual fire. Additional elements that are packaged with our story must be labeled. Our team has been working on this situation since early this morning. 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. The best practice, supported by federal law enforcement explosives experts, is for schools and police to assess threats rather than automatically evacuating schools. After two searches that yielded nothing of concern and with the information that law enforcement had obtained, they gave us the all clear to conduct school as normal. Incorporating issues related to checklists, search procedures, crime scene management, evacuations, and recovery into training and crisis guidelines. Berg echoed the mans perception. Tri-County Citizens and another group, Common Sense Kiel, accused school board incumbents of advancing CRT andbacked three challengers for their seats. Another major issue for schools involves conducting of searches following bomb threats. These dance performances are done strictly on a volunteer basis. INDIANAPOLIS Several dozen central Indiana school districts canceled in-person learning Friday, April 14, after a bomb threat was emailed to the districts, officials said. Up to a pound of ammonium nitrate was brought to school by a Nevada middle-school student. 6:00 PM Bilingual PAC . A number of high-profile incidents involving bombs and bomb threats took place prior to the 1999 Columbine High School attack showed a trend we identified and trained schools to prepare for at that time: 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.