Juvenile arrested over threat Cashman Middle School

A juvenile was arrested Friday on allegations they made threats to Cashman Middle School.

Clark County School District police Sgt. Bryan Zink said in a text the youth was “arrested for making terroristic threats online.”

Sindy Biernacki, principal at Cashman, sent an email Friday morning to parents notifying them of the arrest.

“We want to emphasize to our community how seriously we take threats made to our school,” Biernacki said. “Students who make threats to a school can be charged with making a terrorist threat, among other serious crimes.”

The arrest comes a day after the Clark County School District sent an email letter to parents saying district officials were aware of nebulous threats aimed at disrupting schools nationally.

Schools in Carson City closed Friday as they faced the same issue of social media threats circulating online there, according to multiple media reports.

“(CCSD) is aware of some social media trends and rumors that can create disruptions on our campuses and the surrounding community. Please know that there are currently vague threats being experienced by many school districts across the nation,” the letter sent to parents by CCSD said.

“CCSD administration and CCSD police are aware of these posts that are often created by individuals outside our community with the intent of disrupting learning across the country,” the school district said. “Please know that CCSD police and our law enforcement partners take threats seriously, however, these current social media trends are vague and mean to stop the learning environment on the last day of school Dec. 17 for many school districts across the country.”

The string of threats to schools have often alluded to gun violence.

“One of our top priorities is to provide a positive and safe learning environment, safe from distractions, for all of our students and staff,” the CCSD statement said. “We are asking for parents to monitor their children’s social media usage and engage their children in conversations about proper behavior and the expectations outlined in the CCSD Student Code of Conduct. Also, please talk to your children about the serious consequences of making threats to the school. It is not a joke. All threats are taken seriously and will be dealt with appropriately.

“We also encourage all members of the community to report threats directly to law enforcement, rather than sharing unsubstantiated rumors through social media. Students and parents can make reports through the SafeVoice reporting system by calling 1-833-216-SAFE (7233), through the website at safevoicenv.org or through the free downloadable phone app. Or call CCSDPD dispatch at 702-799-5411 for immediate attention.”

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.