WAVE 11-10-17 Volume 4 Issue 9

Targeted Violence

Targeted Violence is the purposeful, deliberate se-
lection of a target prior to a violent attack. The tar-
get can be a specific individual or individuals, a
class or category of individuals, or an institution.
Contrary to common belief, offenders do not just
“snap.” Targeted violence is premeditated, with
planning and preparation taking place over many
days, weeks, months or even years. Because of
the predatory and planned nature of targeted vio-
lence, very often other people know about the as-
sailant’s idea or plan to attack. Observers,
including family members and bystanders, are in
an excellent position to recognize the warning
signs that someone is moving towards an act of
targeted violence and to learn how to respond.

Verbal Leakage is the term
that professionals use to de-
scribe ambiguities, slips of
the tongue, or other factors
of speech considered to un-
earth data about a person’s
motivations and actions
which they have tried to
keep hidden.



When confronted with concern- team. Threat assessment and
ing behavior in a campus or
classroom environment, adminis- management teams can be
trators and faculty typically want
to know if this person will be the formed and function in K-12
next assailant in a shooting inci-
dent or some other act of tar- schools, institutions of higher ed-
geted violence. Prediction is very
difficult, but prevention is cer- ucation, places of worship, work-
tainly possible, and is, of course,
the goal. In order to estimate the sites, hospitals, and
risk of violence, the threat must
be assessed and managed. communities.

Many higher education institu- teams are only activated when
tions are moving beyond threat there is a threat, BITs are more
assessment teams to Behavioral proactive and address a wide
Intervention Teams (BITs), which range of concerning behavior
provide a more holistic approach and signs of potential violence
to identifying, assessing, and whether a threat has been made
managing threats. A BIT is a mul- or note. As a centralized point of
tidisciplinary, cross-functional contact and repository of infor-
team that meets regularly and re- mation, the BIT is also able to
ceives reports of concerning or track trends and detect patterns
disruptive behaviors as well as over time, which aids in preven-
threats of violence. tion.

Because threat assessment

Threat assessment and manage-
ment is a consistent and stan-
dardized process of identifying
situations and persons of con-
cern, gathering and assessing
multiple sources of information in
context, determining if those per-
sons are moving toward an at-
tack, mitigating risk of targeted
violence, and intervening before
an attack occurs.

The US Department of Justice
and the FBI recently published a
monography called, Making Pre-
vention a Reality: Identifying, As-
sessing, and Managing the
Threat of Targeted Attacks. In
that publication they stated that
the best strategy to prevent tar-
geted violence is the threat as-
sessment and management

Once a report is received, the more than one class, a report ment requirements, and aca-
BIT is charged with investigating, from a teammate that they are demic assistance. BIT can be co-
assessing, and responding to the concerned the student is suicidal, ordinated within or across
concern, which may include con- and a report from a parent that districts, and can include appro-
ducting a threat assessment to the student just experienced a priate community agencies
determine and mitigate risk of vi- death in the family and is falling where available and required.
olence, initiating necessary inter- behind. This information allows
ventions to manage the behavior, the BIT to have more compre- An added benefit to BIT is in the
and coordinating resources and hensive view of the student and message it sends to our stu-
follow-up. Because a BIT often to offer the student the earliest dents, parents, and the commu-
receives reports of concerning possible intervention, support, nity at large – that our students
behaviors before a threat is and resources before the situa- are not “threats” to be responded
made, BIT are intended to be tion potentially escalates and to, but individuals we should be
preventative and caring, but not signs of an imminent threat are supporting to prevent small is-
punitive. The goal is to ensure evident. sues from becoming larger ones,
that everyone is safe and has the to provide early diagnosis (where
opportunity to succeed. BIT Teams for K-12 Schools appropriate), and to connect stu-

BIT are Collaborative While effective threat assess- dents and families with needed
ment techniques are a part of BIT resources.
By working collaboratively and in function, these teams focus on a
an interdisciplinary manner, a caring and preventive approach BIT integrates training for admin-
BIT reduces the tendency for de- that incorporates the school, the istrators, faculty, and staff to
partments to function and com- district, community resources more effectively manage class-
municate in silos and enables a and the family to support the stu- rooms and schools, as well as to
more inter-connected approach dent. Teams intervene with spe- recognize early warning signs of
to threat assessment/threat man- cialized knowledge to identify the concerning and red flag behav-
agement and response to behav- earliest signs of potential crisis iors. BIT also utilizes advanced
iors of concern. rather than waiting for clear signs recordkeeping management
of an impending threat and react- techniques via database soft-
For example, receiving reports ing. Teams develop success ware to enable longitudinal track-
from two different teachers that a plans for students that may in- ing of student conduct over time
student is having difficulty in clude disability support, treat- to assess trends and patterns.

K-12 Campus using BIT Teams ers’ Union Representative* the incident.
typically include all members of A substitute teacher attempted to
campus Behavioral Intervention 18. District Athletic Coordinator intervene to prevent the teacher
Teams, such as: from being taken hostage. He
News around the nation: was punched in the face by Ken-
1. Designated BIT Chair(s) Problem parents, non and suffered a broken nose
and other facial injuries.
2. BIT Case Managers disturbing Snapchat
videos and more The school was put on lockdown,
3. District Superintendents and no students were injured
and/or Asst. Superintendents California during the incident. The school
was closed for the remainder of
4. School Guidance Counselors After a seven-hour standoff on the week and counselors were
School Psychologists/Counsel- Halloween, SWAT officers shot a made available.
ing Directors parent who had taken a teacher
hostage at Castle View Elemen- Elsewhere in The Golden State,
5. District Counseling Coordina- tary School. Luvelle Kennon, the the father of a third-grader was
tors father of a first-grader at the arrested after the child brought a
school, died at a nearby hospital. gun to Twin Creeks Elementary
6. School Health Professionals School. According to reports, the
(e.g., School Nurse, PA, etc.) boy had the firearm in his back-
pack and brought it to show
7. School/District Disability Serv- friends. It was never brandished.
ice Director/Coordinator After school, a student told a par-

8. School Principal

9. Asst. Principal responsible for
student conduct

10. District Legal Counsel

11. School/District Faculty Rep-
resentative

12. Security Manager/Director

13. District Media Relations/Pub-
lic Relations Coordinator

14. School/District PTA represen- According to reports, Kennon ent, who reported the incident to
tative was upset when he arrived at the school administrators, who called
school and forced his way past the police.
15.Chief Academic Officer office staff. He grabbed a teacher
and forced her into an empty Continued on next page
16. Human Resources or Teach- classroom. She was not hurt in

Officers obtained a search war- up to the high school. The custo- Las Vegas
rant for the family home and dian allegedly picked the teen up
found the weapon still stashed in and took him to the middle A Clark County School District
the boy’s backpack. Anthony O’- school gym on a Saturday, sup- truant officer has been sus-
Donnell was arrested on a num- posedly to help him with his alge- pended without pay for allegedly
ber of charges, including bra homework. When the choking a 16-year-old student.
possession of stolen property, homework was complete, the According to reports, Scott
child endangerment and criminal student said the custodian pulled Weissinger went to the boy’s
storage of a firearm that is acces- his shorts down and performed home and attacked the student.
sible to a child. Bail was sent at oral sex on him. The student told District officials say Weissinger
$140,000. police that he froze in shock and was supposed to be at the resi-
didn’t say anything out of fear dence to follow up on reports of
Florida that he’d be kidnapped. The cus- truancy in regard to the student.
todian is being held without Weissinger was arrested on
A 15-year-old student was ar- bond. felony charges of assault and
rested in connection with threat- burglary.
ening Snapchat posts. The teen Georgia
first posted a photo of himself Miami
with a realistic-looking toy gun, Two 17-year-old students were
along with a caption that read, arrested for allegedly plotting to A 10-year-old student was taken
“Knock on my door I dare y’all target Etowah High School with to a nearby hospital after he was
to.” An hour later, he posted a an incendiary device. allegedly body-slammed during
second photo of himself with an altercation with another stu-
what appeared to be an auto- Acting on a tip, police questioned dent. The victim’s father said the
matic weapon and the caption, Alfred Dupree and Victoria Mc- attacker was much older than his
“School gunna be lit tomorrow.” Curley separately in their homes. son. The student was arrested
At the home of Dupree, police on a battery charge.
Friends who saw the posts told confiscated a diary that recorded
their parents, who called police. the plot. And the incendiary de- New York
The student was arrested on a vice that was to be used was
charge of threatening to kill or do found at McCurley’s home. A Bronx teacher was arrested
bodily injury. He was taken to a after allegedly slapping an I.S.
juvenile detention center. Charged as adults, the teens 219 student. Fatai Okunola was
face: charged with assault after he
The school sent out a robocall to was accused of slapping a 12-
parents, explaining the situation. * three counts of criminal attempt year-old girl in the face. He has
to commit murder since been removed from the
Elsewhere in The Sunshine school, according to the Depart-
State, a custodian at Coral * four counts of terroristic threats ment of Education. Okunola was
Springs Middle School was ar- criminal attempt to commit arson, named in two prior complaints of
rested on allegations that he sex- and corporal punishment in 2005 and
ually battered a former student. 2014.
* possession of an explosive with
According to reports, the custo- the intent to kill, injure or destroy Continued on next page
dian mentored the 15-year-old a public building.
student even though he’d moved

North Carolina ton Alexander was arrested after it was rape. However, the tech
reportedly showing nude photos trail told the real story. The boy
A student-athlete was shot in the of students under the age of 18 had sent the girl a message apol-
neck at baseball practice at to other students.The images ogizing to her for not stopping
Rocky Mount High School. The were stored on his cell phone. when she said no. She took
15-year-old was warming up on screenshots of the conversation.
the baseball field at the begin- Texas
ning of practice when he was hit The student was released on
by a .22-caliber bullet. He was Administrators at Strickland Mid- $10,000 bond.
taken to a nearby hospital for dle School called police for help
treatment and is expected to with an unruly student. According Virginia
make a full recovery. to reports, the teacher called the
assistant principal to the class- Short Pump Middle School’s
A district spokesperson said the room for help with a “noncompli- football season was canceled
student was not believed to be ant” student. The boy had been after a disturbing Snapchat video
targeted, and police reported that screaming that he was going to went viral.
they’re still looking for the kill himself. When the assistant
shooter, who remains at large. principal arrived, the student In the video, captioned “What re-
swung a lanyard with a metal ally goes on in the football locker
Pennsylvania carabiner across her back and room,” some of the team’s white
kicked her in the shin. The stu- football players bent black play-
An 18-year-old was arrested at dent attempted to throw his desk. ers over benches and gyrated
the Schuylkill Technology and When the assistant principal at- against them on the floor, simu-
Training Center. Dominick Cas- tempted to stop him, the student lating sex acts. Another caption
silli has been charged with punched her in the face. read, “We gonna (f-bomb) the
threating to use weapons of black outta these black children
mass destruction and terroristic The boy was charged with as- from Uganda.”
threats after he admitted he drew sault of a public servant. He was
a picture of a bomb and a build- taken to a juvenile facility. The school board canceled the
ing on a piece of toilet paper and remainder of the season, noting
left it inside a third-story rest- Utah that the team will forfeit remain-
room, where it was found by a ing games. Practices will con-
custodian. An 18-year-old student has been tinue, according to reports, and
arrested in connection with the will include “discussions that
School and police teamed up to rape of a classmate in a school focus on reporting responsibili-
review surveillance video and parking lot on Oct. 18. The ac- ties, accountability, ethics, sexual
analyze sign out sheets to nar- cused, the victim and the name harassment and racial toler-
row the pool of suspects. Cassilli of the school remain unidentifed ance,” according to a statement
confessed, and his unsecured to protect the victim’s privacy, ac- from the board.
bail was set at $10,000. cording to police.
An investigation is ongoing, and
South Carolina The two went to the girl’s car in further discipline may be admin-
the parking lot during fourth pe- istered.
A 17-year-old student has been riod. It was a classic he said/she
arrested for promoting obscenity said incident: The boy said the
at Lakewood High School. Dal- sex was consensual; the girl said

tablished school policy. nity. The court affirmed the ruling
for the school.
Here, the mother pointed to the
school district’s sports curricu- Washburne v. Town of Madison,
lum, which included a section ti- 175 Conn.App. 613 (Conn. App.
tled, “Safety Guidelines.” Under Ct. 2017).
the section for soccer, it included
a bulleted list:

1. No metal and/or molded
cleats.

Soccer injury in PE: Lack 2. Wear suitable footwear and Student stabbed in the
of shin guards leads to clothing. eye during recess:
broken leg
3. Wear shin guards for addi- Principal’s not off the
Connecticut school defendants tional protection. hook
couldn’t be held liable for a soc-
cer player’s leg injury, a state ap- 4. Wear sun protection. An Idaho federal judge refused to
peals court affirmed. Here’s what dismiss claims filed on behalf of
the school got right. 5. No jewelry. a student who lost sight in his
right eye after being stabbed with
While playing soccer in PE, the After looking at the documents, a stick. Here’s why the school
class wasn’t wearing shin the court backed the school for couldn’t nip this suit in the bud:
guards. One student kicked an- two reasons.
other, and the victim suffered a On April 14, 2015, the play-
fractured left tibia and fibula. First, the word “guidelines” is ground at Pioneer Elementary
generally understood to mean School was shorthanded. Two
His mom filed a negligence suit “best practices” – not mandatory staffers – rather than the usual
against the town, the board, the rules, the court explained. four – manned the playground,
principal and the substitute as per the principal’s instruction.
teacher. And second, the phrase, “for ad-
ditional protection” after “wear A student with a long history of
The court held the defendants shin guards” suggests that’s a disciplinary issues (including hit-
were entitled to immunity. discretionary call to be made if ting classmates, throwing rocks
extra protection was deemed at teachers and punching a para-
On appeal, the mother said necessary. Furthermore, this professional) stabbed a class-
school policy required shin guideline followed the more di- mate in the eye with a stick while
guards for soccer, so the court rect bullet point that specifically they were at recess.
made the wrong call. prohibited cleats, which “logically
renders the use of shin guards Student loses eyesight
Policy under the microscope relatively less important as a
safety concern,” the court held. The injury required two surgeries
Generally, educators are immune and caused permanent blind-
from personal injury suits – un- No policy violation occurred, so ness in the victim’s right eye. His
less they failed to follow an es- the school was entitled to immu- parents filed a lawsuit, alleging:

1. the principal provided negli- No. 4:16-cv-00117-BLW, 2017 specified time, it doesn’t get re-
gent supervision by letting a WL 3723640 (D. Idaho 8/29/17). leased.
known violent student use an un-
derstaffed playground during re- Feds: 3 secrets to help Know where to look
cess, and you find federal grants
While you can’t change the way
2. the district was negligent be- quickly the feds operate, you can get an
cause it failed to train the princi- early heads-up on funding oppor-
pal on best practices to comply Many school administrators tunities by:
with its anti-bullying policy. share a common complaint:
The defendants asked the court They find out about funding op- 1. Using social media. Like or fol-
to dismiss the claims without a portunities at the last minute – low the National Institute for Jus-
trial. and don’t have enough time to tice, the Department of Justice
apply. Here’s help from a DOJ in- and the Department of Education
Given the attacker’s history of vi- sider: on Facebook
olence, a reasonable jury could
find the principal’s conduct was 2. Attending webinars held by
“reckless, willful and wanton,” the federal departments – grants are
court said. often announced on them, and

So it refused to dismiss the claim
against the principal.

District’s on the hot seat, too

As for the claim against the dis- And though it sounds like a 3. Setting up Google alerts to no-
trict, the court noted that an es- cliche, you can blame Congress tify you when grants are an-
tablished anti-bullying policy for the short span for federal nounced by federal departments.
outlined general disciplinary in- grants, according to Michael
structions and reporting guide- O’Shea, Senior Law Enforce- These three steps will help en-
lines. But the principal testified ment Program Manager at the sure that you receive the earliest
that she’d never received training U.S. Department of Justice. possible notice about funding op-
on administering student disci- portunities.
pline or documenting incidents of Here’s how the process works:
bullying. Once Congress approves fund-
ing for a specific initiative, the
As such, a reasonable jury could corresponding federal depart-
conclude that the district failed to ment has a limited time frame to
train the principal to comply with get the money out there. It’s a
its policy. So the court refused to use-it-or-lose-it policy. If the
dismiss the claim against the dis- money’s not awarded within the
trict.

The case will proceed.

Wilson v. Salmon School Dist.,

Can board reject Disturbing video: Autistic
teacher’s medical work student dragged to office

limitation? Two Ohio teachers have been
put on paid administrative leave
A North Carolina teacher filed after school surveillance footage
racial bias claims after her school showed them dragging a 7-year-
board refused to allow her to re- old autistic student to the office.
turn to work with a medical re-
striction recommended by her According to reports, the child
doctor. Here’s why the court was having a bad day and was
backed the school board: misbehaving on the playground.
The North Carolina teacher took
medical leave after suffering from The video showed one teacher
insomnia and having high blood held the boy’s arms while the
pressure. other held his legs to carry him in
the building.
A doctor cleared her to return to
work with “no prolonged stand- Then the child was dragged
ing” but the board rejected the re- down a hallway by one leg to-
striction as unreasonable. ward the office.

Both teachers were suspended,
and an investigation is ongoing.

The teacher filed a racial discrim-
ination suit that reached the
Fourth Circuit.

But she failed to provide evi-
dence showing she was treated
differently than white colleagues,
so the court affirmed the ruling to
dismiss the claim.

Swasso v. Onslow County Board
of Educ., No. 16-2347, 2017 WL
3432388 (4th Cir. 8/11/17).