The "A Really Sick Joke? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading and re-reading the story about a young man who was expelled from school last year and has now been ordered back to school by a Lancaster County Judge.  The newspaper reporter,  Alex Geli, wrote in a story in LNP Always Lancaster: "In one Snapchat message, Jaden included a picture of another student with text superimposed on the image. 'I'm shooting up the school this week.  I can't take it anymore.  I'm DONE!'"  Another message said many students would "perish in the storm" and mentioned "tying up and eating students" Geli reported.  This all happened in the Manheim Township School District where I taught in the high school for 33 years.  The evening that the message was sent, it was read by another student who showed it to his father who happened to be a teacher at the high school.  He passed the message on to the administration which eventually found its way to the local police department.  Then the school Superintendent sent a message to  parents of all students in the school.  The young man, known in the newspaper as J.S. or Jaden, claimed it was all a joke or misunderstanding.  But, this isn't something to joke about.  And, if that was the case, he certainly is learning a lesson the hard way.  One that he will never forget, hopefully.  Last year there were 94 school gun violence incidents which was a record high since the collection of this data began in 1970.  A record 55 people were killed in school gun violence last year.  Now, that's not a joke to anyone.  And, did it all begin as a joke to someone?  Mannheim Township has a strict policy on social media as well as making terroristic threats and cyberbullying.  J.S. didn't seem to care when he sent the message.  Well, the school did care and expelled him from the school for good.  Yes, it made a difficult situation for the student and his parents.  But...so what!  The school district did exactly what it had to do.  It is their responsibility to protect all students as well as teachers and staff who work in the school environment.  Since I produce the Middle School and Intermediate School yearbooks, I am in the school quite often taking photographs.  I must sign in and wear an ID badge while in the school.  Each school has monitors in the building with a police presence in both the Middle School and High School.  Schools try their best to keep everyone in the school buildings safe and they MUST take every threat seriously, whether it be real or "a joke" as alleged in this case, or they wouldn't be doing their duty to the citizens in the school district.  And, when you have over 1,500 students in the high school, it is a daunting task.  If a student in the Middle School had sent a threatening message to another student, I would hope they would be removed from the school.  If I am going to walk the halls of the school to take photos, I don't want someone "shooting up the school".  I do feel safe knowing that the school district takes my safety seriously.  What I can't believe is that a judge can reverse the expulsion.  He said he didn't feel the school district provided sufficient evidence to back up the expulsion.  There were no bodies, no screaming and crying, no huddling in the classrooms.  Thank God there was none!  Perhaps it's because someone found out before it happened and expelled the culprit.  Other schools in the county are complaining about the judge's reversal saying it could be a chilling precedent.  I recently heard that the student and his family, who would have graduated this year, has decided not to return to the school.  He would have had to wait at least 30 days while the school decided if it would appeal the decision.  By then the school year would almost be over.  It is a sad occurrence that happened at Mannheim Township High School.  But, it could happen at any school.  I am glad how it turned out, but sad for the young man if it was "just a joke."  A really sick joke!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.