Geez. I live right near the N ID border and two of their school districts closed today due to repeated threats. None of the threats were deemed credible, but I guess they finally decided that everybody needed to recoup after the crazy week.

So, the kid was removed from school for making violent threats. And this is bad - why?

I'm only offended that police are combining "gothic themes" with gangs and violence.

Did I miss something? I thought he didn't make violent threats?

Logical evolution of the zero judgment policies adopted by so many schools.

Here in Coeur D Alene all the schools are shut down today because of the Mayan Apocalypse might spark some nutjob to shoot up the schools. I kid you not.

Hey Eric I'm in Spokane. I must have misread. I thought Post Falls and CDA districts shut down because all the threats, although not credible, coupled with the recent shooting, was just kind of overload for everybody?

Santa kid's got the makings of a great lawsuit, entrapment, harrasment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false arrest. Anyone able to think of anything else?

Civil rights violation via 14th amendment due to him being the only one of the three arrested, suspended, and frog marched by cops . . .

Hey Meloni- we should meet at Europa sometime! (Best pizza in the world.)

There were no actual threats, just rumors of threats. You are right though, it is an overload event, but I think it really sends a bad \ mixed message to the younger kids. My boy is 8 and I had talked to him last weekend about the shooting, and how something like this was not ever going to happen to his school, and then they shut down the school.

PS- Did you discover Amy through The Inlander?

Hi Eric: I haven't had to explain the situation to any kids yet. Haven't a clue what I would say.

I've never had Europa. Am determined to get there one day. Are they on South Hill near the Mexican restaurant with the cheetoh colored walls?

I did discover Amy through The Inlander. Read her for a few years before I noticed she had a website.

Wall Street downtown, around 3rd or 4th.

http://www.europapizzaria.com/

They make pizza with a Hungarian pogacha dougn I have never found the reipe for, but a cook about 15 years ago gave me the cheese mix.

I actually can see that these comments could be perceived as a threat. The Hunger Games involve teenagers fighting to the death. The tag line - "Let the games begin. "

A Santa suit? Hmmm. Not a bad disguise. There would be plenty of room to hide weapons. More room than the baggy clothing that is banned because it can hide weapons.

Perhaps it is paranoia. Perhaps if is the new reality.

Frankly, yes, that post is a little unsettling in light of recent events and I don't blame the parents for calling the police. Nor do I blame the police for doing their job--I'm pretty sure they're required to respond to all calls no matter how minor, and it sounds like they handled the situation tactfully and appropriately. As far as the school's response, well, that might be a little over the top but can you blame them for wanting to take any potential threat seriously right now? Just imagine the response if something DID happen and it came out that the school could have prevented another tragedy but didn't. Ten days seems a little lengthy for an investigation but at the same time hopefully it's a sign that they're investigating fairly and thoroughly rather than jumping to conclusions one way or another.

And the kid's post WAS inappropriate. It's akin to talking about bombs in an airport--just a stupid thing to do. Chances are he didn't realize the implications, but 15 is old enough to start considering how you present yourself in a public forum. Too many people fail to appreciate the very public nature of facebook and other social networking sites, and hopefully this incident will teach him to think twice before he posts.

>>Perhaps it is paranoia. Perhaps if is the new reality.

Yeah, if you're stupid enough to base your reality on things that happen less often then death by driving a car.

>>Investigated WHAT?

Exactly. It's open and shut. No threat, but let's fuck with the kid who want's to wear a Santa suit!

Ok...I can even see them taking the kid to the office on that day and making sure he had no weapons. But that what are the investigating? It sounds like they already knew everything.

What I really want to know is why on the side of Amy's site here there is a picture of a lamb or goat with text under it "How to get pregnant fast."

">>Perhaps it is paranoia. Perhaps if is the new reality.

Yeah, if you're stupid enough to base your reality on things that happen less often then death by driving a car."

A better description would be a temporary reality caused by an understandable (if not logical) reaction to a tragic event. It's similar to the zero-tolerance anti-bullying mentality that springs up after a victim's suicide. Or a safe driving campaign after someone dies in a drunk driving accident. Or stricter policy enforcement at work after a poor division-wide performance review. A few changes will stick but gradually behaviors and attitudes drift back to normal.

Shannon, the kid had permission form the school. They could have called him the night before and said 'Look, we got to cancel this.'

Instead they let him come and arrested him and suspended him for participating in a SCHOOL SANCTION activity.

How is that any different than having the validictorian arrested for tresspassing after inviting her to speak, and then not telling her you decided to cancel?

Also

It's akin to talking about bombs in an airport--just a stupid thing to do.

You just posted about bombs in an airport - you made a threat, should you go to an airport you now (according to your own logic) deserve to be arrested for making threats.

Sure hope no one decides to show you what you are advocating for by calling the cops on one sentance you wrote being taken out of context. But if they did you'd deserve it

Frankly, yes, that post is a little unsettling in light of recent events and I don't blame the parents for calling the police. Nor do I blame the police for doing their job--I'm pretty sure they're required to respond to all calls no matter how minor, and it sounds like they handled the situation tactfully and appropriately. As far as the school's response, well, that might be a little over the top but can you blame them for wanting to take any potential threat seriously right now? -- Shannon at December 21, 2012 9:26 PM

I'm pretty sure they're required to respond to all calls no matter how minor

I'll give you a C for that one.

As far as the school's response, well, that might be a little over the top

I have to give you a D- considering the fact that the quotes:

Police say George's mother confirmed that her son bought a Santa costume.

George said he had revealed his plans to a teacher at school.

are on this page?

What more fucking investigation do you need? Do you need a priest to swear that he never intended any harm? What about his classmates? Are they suspended? If not, WHY NOT? They were co-conspirators to wear a Santa and elves' costumes to school.

This is so stupid that the school board needs to fire the principal and the rest of the school's administration. And the local citizens need to fire the school board if they don't take the right action.

that post is a little unsettling in light of recent events

Really? I need a sip of your kool aid, as I ain't seeing it. At least he didn't quote Heavy Metal the movie.

If you refuse, you die; she dies... everybody dies!

See, now that's a threat...

"You just posted about bombs in an airport - you made a threat, should you go to an airport you now (according to your own logic) deserve to be arrested for making threats."

Uh no, my point was about context. The context of talking about "bombs in an airport" as a subject is very different than than talking about bombs when one is actually in an airport. I didn't say that the speaker would "deserve" arrest (not that arrest is likely, more like detainment/extra security measures/questioning), but that it might be a potential consequence brought on by his/her actions.

As far as the school's investigation, well the fact that he bought a Santa suit doesn't invalidate the possibility that the post could have had a more ominous double meaning. Do I think so? No. I just think that the school was doing their best to cover their asses and reassure concerned parents during a time when everyone is understandably scared and on edge.

Also, I would not be surprised if there was more to the story, and the kid had a history of seeming a little off which caused the event to be investigated more closely. Right now you have a whole nation asking, "How could Adam Lanza have slipped through the cracks? Why didn't anyone notice something earlier?" Well this is someone "noticing something", and it's a cheaper and easier preventative measure than posting armed security guards outside every school (which some people have suggested). To continue the airport analogy, if my guess is right it's like if the person talking about bombs in an airport is wearing a turban and named Mohammed Yarafat--if you fit the profile of a threat than it's inevitable that you're going to be taken seriously.

Well this is someone "noticing something",

Imagine that, they "noticed" the "something" the set up in the first place.

tell me Shannon how often do you notice the things you initiate?