Threatened Violence Hoaxes at Seminole County High Schools are No Laughing Matter

By Deanna Ferrante

The empty halls of Winter Springs High School, like those that occur during a school lockdown drill.

Frightened screams, panicked tears, and armed police officers are not what you usually expect when hearing about a high school students day. But for Scotlyn Srodes, a 17-yearold junior at Lake Mary High School, a day that usually included science tests, math problems and textbook assignments turned into one spent in the dark listening for the sound of gunfire. On Feb. 24, 2014, the police received a phone call at 12:16 p.m. telling them that an active shooter was on the Lake Mary High School campus. According to Dr. Michael Blasewitz, the Seminole County Executive Director for High Schools and spokesman for the event, at 12:17 p.m., police had arrived on campus. By 12:21, the Seminole County School Board had been notified. By that time, in just four minutes, the school was already under lockdown.

It all happened quickly, leaving students inside scrambling to follow the lockdown drill instructions and find their own answers about what was happening. Srodes said that she remembers feeling a sense of nervous energy during the event. We didnt know how serious it was, she said, sounding frustrated with the lack of information she received. Rumors traveled across the school as kids exchanged news via text messaging. Some kids said there were four gunmen, Srodes said, talking about one of the many rumors that circulated through the student body. She described how kids began to become more restless as police officers, armed with rifles, began to arrive. A lot of the younger kids started getting anxious and called their moms, she said. Once the school was cleared, students were evacuated with their arms raised and their hands behind their heads into the school parking lot. There, police searched their bags and Srodes said that was when she finally found out what was going on. I heard from parents outside the fence that there wasnt really a gunman, she said, describing how many worried parents had gathered outside the gates of the school. Although Srodes said she wasnt worried after the event, this type of threatened violence, even if it is just a hoax, can leave lasting impressions on young adults. According to a document released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adolescents

go through many emotional and physical changes, so it can be especially hard for them to cope with these types of traumatic events. Teens often deny their own feelings, and respond to concerns with an Im okay or simple silence. The SAMHSA pamphlet encourages parents to look out for teens who complain about aches or pains, as these can sometimes just be substitutes for how theyre really feeling. But, because of these harmful psychological effects for teenagers, there are many resources available to students to deal with any problems. Teachers are often the first line of defense, said Joan Toro, a guidance counselor at Winter Springs High School in Seminole County, when asked about where students could turn when dealing with trauma. Toro explained other resources, which include guidance counselors, social workers, and school psychologists. Many of these educators and support staff have specific training as grief and crisis counselors. Most Seminole County high schools even have their own crisis teams, called Behavior Support Teams. Students feeling anxious about traumatic events, like threatened gun violence, should seek out these professionals. Dont keep it bottled inside, Toro said, sounding concerned for her students psychological wellbeing and encouraging them to talk about their feelings. Harmful psychological effects are not the only problems facing students because of these hoaxes. For the student who thinks that the whole event is some sort of practical joke, there can be terrible consequences.

According to the Seminole County Public Schools Student Conduct and Discipline Code, students are prohibited from making direct or indirect threats of violence against individuals or groups. The code also states that any threat will be reported to law enforcement and investigated. The student who makes the threat can be saddled with many disciplinary actions, including suspension or expulsion, as well as arrest or prosecution by law enforcement. From every possible angle, this is not funny, Dr. Blasewitz said sounding angry about the actions of students who pull these types of pranks, I saw how terrified those parents and students were. New school board policies, however, have been put in place so students have less to be anxious about when it comes to school safety threats, whether real or fabricated. According to Dr. Blasewitz, schools now do a lockdown drill at least once a year. The details of these drills cant be published for safety reasons, but every student and teacher practices what they would do in the event of an actual threat. Each threat is handled differently. Dr. Blasewitz is notified when something dangerous is happening. Then, he communicates with the school principal about what type of policy to put in place at the school. Because they are the ones that have to handle the policies that are put in place, administrators receive the highest amount of training. School faculty also receives training through drills and informational videos, generally with the scenario of an armed individual on campus.

Not a lot is more serious than an active shooter, Dr. Blasewitz said about why teachers are most often trained using that scenario. He also said that students also have a job when it comes to keeping their school safe. They need to take the lockdown drill very seriously and report anything that they think the authorities need to know, he said. From reporting hoaxes to seeking professional psychological support, high school students should remember one thing when dealing with threatened violence at school: the old adage better safe than sorry. WORD COUNT: 974