LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a new video Tuesday highlighting the seriousness of making threats against schools.
The Michigan Department of Education will be sharing the video with districts for additional awareness and distribution, according to a news release.
“In recent weeks, threats of violence have been reported at schools across Michigan,” Nessel said in the video. “Local law enforcement agencies have reported threats on social media that number in the hundreds within their own communities. As a result, kids in our state have missed valuable days of instruction as school administrators are forced to close buildings to keep kids safe. Whether these are real threats made by those intent on doing harm or pranks made by kids trying to get a day off, they are real crimes with real consequences.”
Nessel explained the potential charges one could face if they make a threat of violence, including:
- Communicating a threat of terrorism, a 20-year felony
- Calling in a bomb threat, a four-year felony
- Malicious use of a telecommunications device, a six-month misdemeanor
- Threatening violence against school employee or student, a one-year misdemeanor
“Threatening the lives of students and staff, whether with intent to harm or simply to disrupt, is an outrage, particularly in the wake of the tragedy in Oxford,” State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said. “Our students and staff should feel safe in our schools and anything that threatens that safety should be subject to swift and significant consequences.”
Watch Nessel’s full video here:
If you receive a threat or know of a threat of violence against your community, state officials say to contact your local law enforcement.
You can also leave a tip with the state’s OK2SAY hotline by calling 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729), which operates 24/7 and protects the confidentiality of the reporter’s identity.
