KAUFMAN, Texas — The Kaufman High School will be closed on Friday due to an allegation of a threat towards the campus, the district said.
The threat was received Wednesday afternoon, and was in line with a social media trend threatening violence against schools across the country, according to a letter sent to parents.
"The threat did not include a specific time, but was specific to a date: December 17," the letter said. "This falls in line with a national TikTok trend threatening to coordinate violence at schools on December 17, 2021."
The Kaufman ISD police were involved and appropriate actions have been taken, the letter said. There were no weapons on the campus.
"We encourage you to speak with your children about the importance of reporting threats to appropriate individuals. Terroristic threats are taken seriously at Kaufman High School."
The letter said that the district police and administration will continue investigating.
It's not the first threat against a school in North Texas over the past week. Police arrested a student on Monday in connection to a hoax threat against Marcus High School. A similar threat was made to Flower Mound High School and the police are investigating a possible connection.
In Frisco, police were investigating threats against Lone Star High School and classes were canceled for Monday and Tuesday.
In Carrollton, police were investigating a threat against Hebron High School.
Retired Dallas Police Chief Craig Miller worked with schools in Dallas for nearly a decade, and said he witnessed a rise in social media threats against schools. He said it's common before holiday breaks or finals. But whether or not the threats turn out to be credible, Miller said it still a serious issue.
"I think it’s really important for kids to understand that there are consequences for their actions," he told WFAA. "This stuff is gonna follow you throughout your entire life."
One Lewisville ISD parent, Laura Couture, said she's fed up with worrying about school safety.
"You start to question if you wanna send your kids to school, if you wanna keep them home from school," she said. "The hard part is knowing where we go from here."
The FBI Dallas office is now assisting local law enforcement in cases such as these.
"Issuing a threat — even over social media, via text message, or through e-mail — is a federal crime," the FBI said, waring that those who post or send threats can receive up to five years in federal prison or face state or local charges, including threatening interstate communications.
“Hoax threats disrupt school, waste limited law enforcement resources, and put first responders in unnecessary danger," said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. "We also don’t want to see a young person start out adulthood with a felony record over an impulsive social media post. It’s not a joke; always think before you post.”