Good Evening Marana Families and Staff,
In maintaining our commitment to keep our families and staff informed, I want to share with you that our school administration is working closely with the Marana Police Department regarding a concern about student safety.
Today, an MHS student reported to an administrator that a fellow student had made a general threat around their peers’ “actions having consequences.” The threat was general in nature and did not reference a weapon or a specific threat against the school or any student/staff member from our school. Following our standard protocol, the administrator began investigating and notified the Marana Police Department as a precautionary measure. The alleged student was interviewed along with several students who reported hearing the statement. It was determined that while the comment was inappropriate, there was no substantial credible threat. The alleged student was disciplined and their family was notified.
This evening we became aware that additional comments around this situation and the alleged student had been posted to social media. This information continues to be shared with MPD, and while MPD and school administrators continue to investigate new information, there remains no credible threat at this time. At this time, the information being shared on social media appears to be unsubstantiated rumors stemming from the event earlier today, and the case remains open with MPD.
Marana Police Department, our school, and the Marana Unified School District take safety concerns and threats very seriously. Threats or false accusations against a school or student, even when made in a joking manner, result in serious consequences aligned with our district discipline matrix and Arizona Criminal Law. Please continue to talk to your child(ren) about the seriousness of making false or unsubstantiated statements at any time, whether in person or on any social media site.
We also recognize that our children utilize various social media platforms as a means to communicate among friends; therefore it is important that we continue to remind them to never utilize social media platforms to share safety concerns or circulate rumors; but to instead always bring concerns to the immediate attention of an adult, local law enforcement, and/or school official. In addition, we also provide a Speak Up! Tip Line at (520) 518-4181 to share any concerns related to violence, bullying, drugs, alcohol, weapons.
We appreciate the students who brought this concern to our attention so we could address these concerns swiftly. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Mark Goligoski
Principal, Marana High School
