Billings students face discipline for school threats

BILLINGS — Two teenage boys were removed from Skyview High School on Tuesday and may face criminal charges on allegations that they spread threats of violence against their school on Facebook late Monday.

In a news conference, Police Chief Rich St. John and School District 2 Superintendent Terry Bouck said Tuesday afternoon that there was never any indication of a “definitive threat” against the school.

St. John and Bouck declined to discuss the specific nature of the threats.

In light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut on Friday and the fact that Dec. 21 — the last day of the Mayan calendar — falls on the last day of school for the year, police and school officials are being extra cautious, St. John said.

Through the end of the week, schools in Billings will see a notable increase in police presence.

“We definitely want people to know we’re there,” St. John said.

The Billings situation mirrored that in Kalispell, where high school students were disciplined for spreading unfounded rumors that someone would try to blow up or shoot up a school on Friday.

“I can’t mention specifics, but those students are in violation of school policy and have been disciplined accordingly,” School Resource Officer Jason Parce told the Daily Inter Lake on Monday about the comments that were reported to police early Sunday morning.

Flathead High School officials traced the start of the rumors to an offhanded comment a student made last week that he or she might as well blow up the high school because the world is going to end on Friday, Dec. 21.

The rumors, propagated online, spread and escalated into unwarranted fears that someone was planning school violence on Friday.

In Billings, Bouck noted that because of the severity of shootings in Newtown and the talk surrounding Dec. 21 and what action that might prompt, many in the community were on edge.  

“People are on pins and needles,” he said.

At the news conference, he said being able to show that student safety is the district’s top priority is an important factor in addressing parent and community concerns.

“We’re in the business of educating students, but safety is first,” he said.

Kids can’t learn if they’re scared or stressed, he said.

The district wants to show vigilance and safety in an “aggressive but thoughtful manner,” he said.

As such, communication to parents and school staff members from the district since Friday has been nearly constant.

Emails restating the district’s commitment to student safety, explaining school security procedures and inviting parents to visit with principals have gone out regularly since Friday.

On Tuesday night, parents received an automated phone call from the district addressing the Skyview rumors and recapping the afternoon’s news conference.

Bouck said continual, open communication with the public was vital in establishing trust and keeping students safe.