5/2/23 Rosendale Brandon Schools Social Media Threat
2 May 2023 News
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office learned early Monday morning from the FBI about a threat on video made toward the Rosendale-Brandon School District. Working with the FBI, sheriff’s deputies were able to identify the Rosendale Intermediate School student who spoke of the threat on social media. A Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputy followed up with the student and learned another student had made the threatening statement about 3 weeks ago. As soon as the Sheriff’s office was made aware of the threat, Rosendale-Brandon School District officials were notified. Additional notifications to the parents will be coming from the school district through email. Additional deputies were present at the Rosendale Schools Monday morning, along with a police officer from the Village of Rosendale Police Department. The Ripon Police Department also assisted with student background investigative work.
Letter sent out by Rosendale-Brandon School District Superintendent Wayne Weber to staff and district families:
Earlier this morning I was notified by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office of a post on social media that was being investigated by the FBI. Based on the content and timing of the post, there was no belief that students or staff were in imminent danger. However, we take all threats seriously. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, I asked for police presence at our schools while the matter was further investigated by the FBI, county law enforcement, and school officials.
Upon further investigation, it was further reinforced that there was no immediate or specific threat to students or staff. However, as stated earlier, all threats are taken seriously and will be addressed accordingly.
Parents, please talk with your children about the use of social media. As a parent myself, I know the power social media has on children and adults alike. Please take time to remind our children that what is put on social media is never anonymous and can be interpreted by others in a variety of ways. Whether something is meant as a joke does not matter; talking about violence towards others is not appropriate. Additionally, if students hear or read comments about violence, whether they feel it’s a joke or not, they should report what they know to a trusted adult.
Again, based on the joint investigation conducted by the FBI and county law enforcement, there was no imminent or specific threat to students or staff.
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