The following is a message from MCPS Superintendent Chris Brady which was emailed to MCPS families on 9-10-24:
As you are all aware by now, MCPS has dealt with two separate school safety issues this week. Districts throughout Kentucky have experienced similar situations recently. It’s an unfortunate reality that many school districts across the state and the nation face all too often.
This school district treats any type of threat or safety concern very seriously and will continue to work with our local law enforcement while also communicating with families when situations like these occur. More importantly, our teachers will continue to teach, our students will continue to learn, and we will all continue to build positive relationships with the families we serve.
While none of us can fully control what messages or images are spread through social media, we can choose how we react.
I say that because, in light of the recent distractions, some have asked me to close school for the remainder of the week. While the concern felt by many is understandable, it would not be productive to close school, have an NTI day, or plan for anything other than the typical school day our students deserve. We know the recent online threats were not legitimate and that our schools and students were safe at all times.
I’m encouraging our families to see these threats for what they were: unfortunate and unnecessary distractions to the school district from young people who made profoundly poor decisions. Just as importantly, if your child has access to social media, you need to talk to him or her about the dangers of posting or sharing any inappropriate content -- not just because of how it affects the operations of a school district. Students who make threatening statements online will receive extreme consequences from both the school district and law enforcement.
What we experienced today was a distraction for a little more than half of a school day; the repercussions felt by those who make online threats will extend for years.
Part of the issue, especially with today’s events, is that too often young people may think they can remain anonymous with what they post. They can’t. Today local and state law enforcement used their vast resources and know-how to very quickly determine the source of an otherwise “anonymous” online messenger. As a result, there was an arrest and a charge of terroristic threatening. Let’s hope other young people don’t make the same mistake.
In addition to talking to your children about appropriate online behavior, you might need to talk to your neighbor as well. The volume of misleading, exaggerated, or inaccurate information shared through social media from community members was very disappointing, and the fear that many families felt was a consequence of what showed up in a newsfeed that doesn’t discriminate between fact and fiction. Regardless of what you may read online, our high school had an increased law enforcement presence today. Despite what was sent to you via text, no school was on a hard lockdown.
This also extends to employees of the school district. If there are staff members who are speculating about school safety issues online, sharing confidential information, or in any way complicating these types of situations they will be held accountable.
This is a school district that has consistently shown that we will communicate with our families, especially when there are safety issues. We’ve made the conscious decision to err on the side of providing our families with information, and it’s my hope that families can recognize this and trust that we have the best interest of students in mind.
I can’t say thank you enough to the members of the Lebanon Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kentucky State Police for their help today. Because we know families still likely have concerns, we’ll continue to have an increased law enforcement presence in our school district in the coming days. We also have a very significant safety system that we’ll be implementing in the near future to go along with all of the other safety procedures and protocols we’ve implemented in the school district over the years.
Finally, I want to reiterate that we are steadfast in our commitment to teaching and learning all while keeping students and staff safe. I love Marion County and I’m incredibly proud of all the improvements we’ve seen in our school district recently. I sought and accepted this position because there’s no other job that allows the chance to make Marion County a better place for its young people and families like being the superintendent. I hope you’ll help me continue to make this a great place to live and learn.
Chris Brady
Superintendent
Marion County Public Schools