Student E-Mail Threats Draw A Warning From HOM Principal

By Jeff White

In his January newsletter sent home to parents, Head O’ Meadow School Principal William Bircher addressed what he referred to as “proper e-mail etiquette” for students. In response to at least two recent incidents of threatening and profane e-mails involving Head O’ Meadow students, Mr Bircher is calling this week for even more diligence on the part of parents to monitor their children’s home e-mail accounts.

The incidents involved inappropriate e-mails sent by individual students to other classmates off school grounds. It has been confirmed that one occurrence resulted in police action.

According to police spokesman Detective Robert Tvardzik, a 10-year-old student was referred to Danbury juvenile court in late December regarding “an harassment and threatening incident.”

Head O’ Meadow School administrators learned about the incidents from the Newtown Police Department. In a letter meant to supplement his most recent newsletter, Mr Bircher acknowledged the problem: “Home computers were used to send anonymous e-mail messages of a disturbing content to other children.”

The e-mails have some Head O’ Meadow parents concerned, wondering what the school district is doing to check backpacks and make sure that there is no real threat to school safety. The school system can take action if it concludes that there is a definite threat to other students, even though the incidents occurred off school grounds.

Superintendent of Schools John Reed said this week that the district does not feel that the occurrences involving Head O’ Meadow students constitutes any real danger to other students. “We basically are concerned and interested in the matter… if we believe there is any kind of genuine safety matter, we reserve the right to take some action,” Dr Reed said.

“Please be assured,” Mr Bircher wrote, “we will alert the Newtown police if it comes to our attention that communication has taken place outside of the school which infers unacceptable behavior.

“If we believe there is a legitimate safety concern we will take whatever reasonable and appropriate action is necessary to insure that the fulfillment of our number one responsibility, i.e. the safety of our children, is met.”

In his newsletter, Mr Bircher emphasized to parents the importance of monitoring children’s e-mail accounts at home. “Always maintain access to your child’s online account and randomly check his/her e-mail,” he wrote. “Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why.”

Dr Reed commented that the increasing access Newtown students have to e-mail and the Internet in their homes is something that parents and schools will need to get increasingly involved in. “We’re going to have to work our way through it,” he said.

The specific content of the e-mails could not be confirmed this week, and the ages of the students involved prevented authorities from disclosing their identities.