ONA, W.V. – A Cabell Midland High School student was arrested Sunday for making potential threats in their online journal.
The alleged threats were uncovered by the school district’s advanced online security monitoring system, reports WVNews. The technology monitors online electronic devices provided by the school and used by students and teachers, identifying unusual content by scanning language. District officials say that although the system is not always active, when it is, it flags concerning words or phrases. The system was instrumental in identifying the potential threat and student, reports WVNews.
This is the first case where the online monitoring system identified a threat in the district.
School officials deemed the threat to be serious, although they have not publicized the nature of the threat. They also have not identified the Cabell Midland High School student who was allegedly involved.
Although the district doesn’t believe there are any additional threats to students or staff at the high school, additional police officers were stationed on campus on Monday, reports WCHS. Classes that day were held as scheduled.
The student has been charged with making terroristic threats, reports WOWK.
Many school districts have adopted solutions to monitor the laptops, tablets, and other Internet devices they give to their students, teachers, and staff members. Proponents of the monitoring technology say that when it is implemented properly, doing so can help schools identify concerning behavior, such as threatened school shootings and school bombings, as well as cyberbullying, sexting, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, harassment, and more.
