Death threat in elementary school - what are the consequences? (If any)

[Anonymous]

I am sure this has happened a lot around here - curious what the consequences have been at your ES when a child has threatened another with death. Our principal doesn't do anything. The kid gets sent to the principal's office, has a conversation, then right back to class. Same kid, has happened multiple times. Is this normal? Can we go up the chain or do anything else? My child is scared to go to school. Principal scoffed at the idea of even switching classes.

[Anonymous]

What grade is this?

[Anonymous]

Restorative justice?

[Anonymous]

What grade and what did the death threat actually consist of?

[Anonymous]

A threat assessment will be completed to ensure there is no real intent. For such young ages it is normally school discipline based on the number of times it has happened. It’s very common in ES, especially for young boys who have grown up playing Call of Duty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A threat assessment will be completed to ensure there is no real intent. For such young ages it is normally school discipline based on the number of times it has happened. It’s very common in ES, especially for young boys who have grown up playing Call of Duty.

+1, nothing will happen. This is “normal” for a subset of boys.

[Anonymous]

Consequences depend. The school is supposed to do a threat assessment. If the threat is deemed credible, the student could get suspended for a day or two especially if it's not the first time. If the student puts something in writing on social media, you need to screenshot and escalate it.
Also, keep your child away from this kid as much as you can. Request, in writing, to have your child in a different class next year assuming they aren't headed to middle school. Yes, it's "normal" for some children to make threats but usually it goes along with other behaviors that end up causing serious trouble sooner rather than later.

[Anonymous]

I think what matters most is to keep the student who made the threats in school.

[Anonymous]

So no response from OP? It’s been almost 9 hours. Is this post even for real?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure this has happened a lot around here - curious what the consequences have been at your ES when a child has threatened another with death. Our principal doesn't do anything. The kid gets sent to the principal's office, has a conversation, then right back to class. Same kid, has happened multiple times. Is this normal? Can we go up the chain or do anything else? My child is scared to go to school. Principal scoffed at the idea of even switching classes.

if the death threats have not stopped, then the school has not ensured your son is safe at school. The school must do something to stop the threats immediately. You child likely can’t learn properly with this stress. Don’t wait til next year.

Kids threatening to kill other kids in school is not normal at any age no matter how much call of duty they play.

[Anonymous]

A threat assessment SHOULD take place as should separating the boys if they’re in class together but nothing else will because the child didn’t actually harm anyone yet. The discipline rubric prevents serious consequences if harm isn’t actually done. I teach in Loudoun but kids can’t be suspended even if they fight if nobody is seriously injured. I can throw a brick at your head intending to bust your skill in but if I miss they can’t suspend me because you weren’t actually hurt. It’s nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Restorative justice?

I’m sure we all know this but this isn’t happening in schools. What IS happening is a reactive pull back from ever giving consequences because discipline data showed that black, brown, and students with disabilities were being punished more often and more harshly than white and Asian and non disabled students. So now nobody gets consequences so the data can’t look bad. Fun, huh!

-teacher

[Anonymous]

What age, what nature of threat, what actions accompanying it?

A 6 yr old saying "I'm going to kill you" in anger but without violence should be treated very differently from a 9 yr old saying "I'm going to beat you until you can't get up anymore" while chasing another kid. Both require intervention but one is an actual death threat and the other is a kid using words they likely heard elsewhere without thinking.

[Anonymous]

I would report it as bullying. If the same child continues to make the same threat after being counseled and is targeting a kid then I would treat that as bullying. I don’t know if there is a form but I would send an email to the Teacher, Counselor, Vice Principal, and Principal asking what they are doing to protect your child. I would list the days that your child has told you that he was threatened, explain that your child is afraid of this other child, explain that this is making your child anxious and not want to attend school, and ask what the school is doing to keep your child separated from the other child.

The school cannot and will not tell you what they are doing with the other child, it is a legal issue. You can only ask them what they are doing to protect your child.

Send it up the chain if you do not hear from the school in a few days. Send the next email to include someone higher up if there is another incident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Restorative justice?

I’m sure we all know this but this isn’t happening in schools. What IS happening is a reactive pull back from ever giving consequences because discipline data showed that black, brown, and students with disabilities were being punished more often and more harshly than white and Asian and non disabled students. So now nobody gets consequences so the data can’t look bad. Fun, huh!

-teacher

But someone in the big restorative justice thread keeps claiming “every teacher just loves restorative justice” Lol

Wonder if someone from Gatehouse is assigned to post BS here on DCUM?