THREATS AT NC PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PRECEDED HBCU BOMB THREATS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
As the Federal Bureau of Investigation continues its investigation into several bomb threats called into various HBCUs in North Carolina and across the nation, the latest being at Fayetteville State University just last week, local authorities, as well as the FBI, have been probing a number of threats that have preceded the HBCU cases at public schools systems in North Carolina and beyond.
One educator called the disturbing instances “learning while Black,” and suggested that they are the result of very unbalanced minds trying to intimidate Black progress.
For instance, African-American families of students attending East Wake High School near Raleigh were upset when a racist threat targeting their children appeared online last week. The threat used the N-word twice, ending with “..we will discuss how to get rid of all blacks at East Wake.”
Extra security has been posted at the school while authorities investigate.
Last December, schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Iredell-Statesville areas reported threats after a viral Tik-Tok challenge urged students to call in threats of violence, causing at least 25% of students being absent at one point.
On Dec. 17th, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security had to try to quell fears saying that it didn’t have “…any information indicating any specific, credible threats to schools but recommends communities remain alert.”
Authorities say many of those threats continued into 2022 with Charlotte police officers sent to a local middle school just last week.
In High Point last September, an 18-year-old African-American student was arrested for allegedly posting on Snapchat a “mass violence” threat against Guilford County Public schools. The post displayed several firearms, but after investigating, local authorities deemed the student had no weapons.
October saw Asheville Police investigating threats against a local school on social media. They determined that the threat was not credible, but still took precautionary measures to ensure safety.
The Orange County Public School Board considered a resolution opposing “incidents of hostile and racist behaviors” after rowdy speakers spoke out against the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT), and members of the white nationalist Proud Boys group - which authorities say were involved in the January 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol over a year ago, showed up.
In November, members of the Proud Boys group also showed up at a New Hanover County Public School Board meeting. The visit was apparently in support of angry white parents who also opposed any teaching of CRT, even though CRT is only taught on the college level, not secondary public schools.
The incident was one of many across the state where so-called “anti-government” protesters have been showing up at local school board meetings, opposed to the teaching of CRT, and COVID-19 mask mandates, being not only loud but violent.
That forced state education leaders to issue the following statement in part:
“ As educators, as parents and a concerned citizens, we respect the rights of our fellow citizens to share their concerns and voice their opinions. However, this must be done without the use of intimidation or intentionally inspiring fear. Every one of us has a responsibility to instill in our children their First Amendment rights and responsibilities, but we have an even greater responsibility to model good behavior while doing so.”
Last October, U.S. Attorney General Derrick Garland issued a statement that he would have the FBI investigate “…the “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.”
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SHOULD MASK MANDATES
BE DROPPED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WITH NEW OMICRON VARIANT
SPREADING?
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
The COVID-19 crisis is not over, and yet, as the pandemic enters its third year, mask mandates imposed by local school boards are quickly being recalled, or at the very least, being made optional.
But is this a good thing, especially in public schools where African-American students are more than likely be in the majority, and a new sub variant of Omicron quickly spreading?
A week ago, Gov. Roy Cooper, like many other governors across the nation in recent days, announced that because of North Carolina’s improved vaccination rate, expanded testing and falling number of new COVID-19 cases, he was calling on area school boards and local municipalities to drop their mask mandates.
In concert, the NC General Assembly last week passed the Free the Smiles Act, giving parents the legal right not to have their children wear protective masks in school.
Republican legislative leaders hailed passage of the new law, saying that the state’s “youngest students are suffering under these mask mandates” and that ‘the social and emotional damage of [wearing masks] will not be understood for years…” and that “ some children could be impacted for decades.”
And as if on cue, school boards across the state have been dropping their mask mandates, some reacting to the pressure put on them by parents.
But not everyone agrees that now is the time to lift what little protection children have in school from COVID-19 or its variants before there is more conclusive information.
According to Dr. David L. Hill, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, as well as a pediatric hospitalist at Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro, on the Helio Medical website in a February 11th story that he felt, despite the trend of many states to lift their mask mandates, that it may be too soon.
“The trends in COVID-19 transmission are certainly encouraging. But in the vast majority of the country, the total infection and hospitalization rates are still quite high,” Dr. Hill said.
“Public health experts are working to identify criteria based on prevalence in given communities, vaccination rates and the transmissibility of the currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant. I would personally love to see us in a place within weeks or months when those indicators tell us that masking is no longer needed, but most experts would agree we’re not quite there yet. In the meantime, I’m just hoping that this newest BA.2 sub variant of Omicron doesn’t put us right in the middle of yet another wave.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, “The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The B.A. 2 sub variant of Omicron is spreading rapidly, accounting for 1 out of every five new COVID-19 cases.” Dr. Hill urged all school districts “…to keep all their students and faculty as safe s possible as long as necessary.
“We’ve seen significant differences in COVID-19 transmission between schools wit masking an those without. I know I feel better that my children attend schools with masking guidelines.”
Dr. Hill added that he agreed that school boards should consider masking mandates for other respiratory infections, like influenza.
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