Tuesday, Clay County High School officials responded quickly to a situation involving an 18-year-old attempting to enter the school. School staff acted immediately and the situation was resolved without incident.
Unfortunately, misinformation soon began circulating on social media claiming that a 27-year-old man had entered the school with a gun. As a member of the Clay County Board of Education, I had not heard anything about that situation, which immediately raised concerns for me. I picked up the phone and started making calls to find out what was actually going on. After confirming the facts, I responded to several posts simply stating, “Not true,” while the district prepared an official statement explaining the situation.
My goal was simple — to calm fears until accurate information could be shared.
We live in a time when school safety is one of the greatest concerns parents have. When something is posted suggesting that a gunman has entered a school, it spreads quickly and creates panic. In this case, students began calling their parents saying there was a gunman inside the school. Parents were understandably worried and scared for their children.
That fear is real.
Our students — our children, our babies as I often call them — deserve to feel safe when they walk through those doors each morning. Parents deserve peace of mind knowing their children are protected.
As a board member, my priorities are simple:
Student safety
Educating our students
Preparing them to succeed in life
Nothing will ever come before the safety of our students.
That’s why I want to respectfully ask those who operate social media pages and digital platforms to think carefully before posting speculation or rumors involving our schools. A single post suggesting a gunman is in a school can cause fear across an entire community before anyone even knows if the information is true.
In a world where school shootings are a tragic reality, we must all take that responsibility seriously.
I’m not here to gain clicks or attention. My responsibility is to help ensure your children are safe and receiving the education they deserve. You may not always agree with my actions, and that’s your right, but I will never apologize for putting the safety and well-being of our students first.
If you ever have concerns about something happening at one of our schools, please call the school directly. If you cannot reach someone and need help finding answers, feel free to message me and I will do everything I can to get you accurate information.
But before posting something that could alarm an entire community, please take a moment to verify the facts and think about the impact it may have on parents, students, and our schools.
Because when it comes to our children, spreading rumors is not harmless.
Accuracy matters. Responsibility matters. And the safety of our kids matters most of all.
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