A state lawmaker has filed a bill aimed at putting a stop to school threats. Pineville Representative Mike Johnson’s bill would increase the penalties for terrorizing and menacing schools – and parents would be held financially responsible. Johnson says there would be certain instances where parents could face even more severe consequences.
“In extreme cases, where they knew or should have known of the child’s action, or the propensity for the child to have created that action, can hold them criminally liable,” Johnson said.
Johnson says under his bill, all students will know about the state law and the consequences surrounding it – all in a way that they can understand.
“Every school will have to, within the first five days, read the law to the students so that they fully understand that these threats that they’ve done casually, without much thought in the past, are going to have severe consequences,” Johnson explained.
Johnson says school threats are being posted online in increasing numbers in recent years, including a string of them in Rapides Parish last year, and he wants to put a stop to it.
“That will eliminate some of these immature things that kids do, without really thinking about the fact that you’re going to get caught, and it is going to be more than just expulsion from school. You’re going to, perhaps, have your parents responsible,” Johnson said.
Comments