Last week, another tragedy played out in a school building.
A student in Winder, Georgia, about two hours away from Highlands and Cashiers, opened fire and killed two teachers and two students while injuring nine more. The gunman was apprehended by law enforcement at the school.
Since the shooting, there have been threats made of similar events possibly taking place in both Macon County, and nearby Rabun County, Georgia. In each case a student has been arrested for making a threat against a school.
While there is no way to gauge the intention of the threats made, both sheriff’s departments took prompt action to make an arrest – and rightfully so.
As we once again discuss things like school safety, firearms laws, and the myriad of other topics that arise whenever there is a school shooting. Let’s add in this piece of wisdom and relay it to our children and grandchildren; Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences when you say something, post something, or make any other kind of threatening or intimidating statement.
As Macon County Sheriff Brent Holbrooks pointed out after the arrest of a student in Franklin, “We want to urge parents to speak with their children about how their words matter. In this day and age, we have zero tolerance for any comments made that put any Macon County school’s safety into question.”
It’s not just a flippant comment on the school bus. It’s not just a Facebook post. It’s not just a message written on a desk, bleacher, or bathroom wall. Those days are long over.
“We will use this tragedy as an opportunity to work with our school administrative teams to revisit processes and procedures surrounding vigilance and access to our school buildings and grounds,” Macon County Superintendent Josh Lynch said. “We will also communicate with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Highlands Police Department, Franklin Police Department and the NC Highway Patrol who regularly visit our schools and campuses.”
What happened in Winder is a sad reminder of what can take place any average day, at any average school. We all hope something so horrific never happens any closer to home and we – not just law enforcement, legislators, or school officials – need to be proactive in making sure that our students understand the impact of their words both spoken and written.