Dear GUSD Students, Employees, Families, and Community,

This week, GUSD has been inundated with social media posts referencing threats to schools in our district and local area. Students often repost the messages or take screenshots and text them to their friends. None of these posts are related to our district. They are part of a viral trend that has significantly impacted schools and districts nationwide.  

Additionally, we are managing increasing incidents of students of all ages making threatening statements toward their friends or classmates, then later reporting that they were “only joking.” 

Ensuring student and staff safety is our top priority. Our school and district administrators work with law enforcement to thoroughly investigate every tip we receive, social media post we see, or comment we hear on our campuses. Thus far, we have not found any credible threats to our community.

I am asking our parents and guardians to please talk to your students about the seriousness of making threats or spreading rumors about violence on social media, at school, or toward a student or employee. 

Important things to know:

• Threats or potential threats should be reported to your school, our district, or law enforcement IMMEDIATELY. If you see or hear something concerning, please do not share it with your friends or post it on social media. This only spreads misinformation, causes panic, and slows down our investigation. If you see something, say something to a school or district administrator.
  
  If the threat is urgent, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, report any concerning information directly to your school office or call our district office. You can also submit a tip online at TipLine or call the district’s phone tip line at (323) 999-6062. The tip line is monitored seven days a week. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

• We work with law enforcement to investigate ALL threats of violence. It doesn’t matter if the threat was something a student saw on social media or if it was meant as a joke. Law enforcement officers will respond immediately to the school or the student's home to thoroughly investigate. Students will face consequences from the district and/or law enforcement, as appropriate.

• It is NEVER okay to bring a weapon or anything that looks like a weapon to school. If we have reason to believe a student has brought a weapon to school, we will immediately confiscate their belongings and call law enforcement to investigate. Students caught with weapons, including toys or replicas of weapons, will face serious disciplinary consequences. This includes potential law enforcement citations, suspension, or expulsion from school.

I want to thank our administrators, teachers, and staff for their outstanding work responding quickly, collaborating with law enforcement to address safety concerns, and communicating with their school communities about incidents or investigations happening on our campuses.

Keeping our schools safe is a community effort. I thank you for being a constant partner in protecting the safety of our GUSD students, employees, and families.