Communication is key in shooting down rumors

Today, when people communicate in a matter of seconds, schools face a daunting challenge to respond to events with speed and accuracy, yet all the while being on high alert for protecting students’ privacy.

A combination of fact and rumor can play havoc with a school’s communication policy, as administrators in the Parkland School District in Lehigh County found out earlier this month.

Unable to get ahead of the rumors that swirled on social media, district leaders scrambled to pick up the pieces of a situation which resulted in hundreds of students being pulled from classes by concerned parents.

For Superintendent Richard Sniscak, it was a cautionary tale of how difficult it is to balance the public’s thirst for information against the school district’s responsibility to make sure that any information dispensed is accurate, while also taking into account the privacy of the students involved.

The Parkland incident occurred when two 15-year-old students were arrested by police in conjunction with “threatening actions” they were alleged to have made, indicating that something serious would happen at the high school before Christmas vacation. What that “something” was still has not been made public.

In a recorded message, the high school principal assured parents and students that the school was safe, but he made no mention of the arrests of the students. If that had been done, some parents said, their concerns would have been eased.

Parkland officials said they must walk a tightrope between giving out public information about underage students who are arrested and protecting students’ privacy. They said they work in cooperation with the state police and the district attorney’s office, relying on these agencies to keep the public informed about the police aspects of the case.

Most districts have policies in place on how to communicate with parents and the public when incidents occur at school. Some distinguish among low-, moderate- and high-impact incidents. A low-impact incident, which poses no risk to the safety of a school, might involve a small disturbance or fight. Moderate-impact examples, which could result in some disruptions, would be a threat to the school, an air-quality issue or gas leak. An example of a high-impact incident, which could result in significant disruptions at a school, might include an intruder or the use of a weapon resulting in injuries to students and staff.

Dr. Larry J. Macaluso, a native of Nesquehoning and retired superintendent of the Red Lion Area School District in York County, says swift, accurate communication is at the core of heading off rumors and misinformation.

Macaluso and his administrative team had to deal with the 2003 killing of a Red Lion junior high school principal by a 14-year-old student who then turned the gun on himself and died.

During the white hot glare of national media attention, Macaluso had to navigate the district through the potentially destructive public relations minefield, and his efforts and those of his fellow administrators won praise from educators across the country and the entire Red Lion school community. They showed their gratitude when they named an elementary school in Macaluso’s honor upon his retirement.

Speed, accuracy and completeness in communicating with parents and other segments of the school community are essential, Macaluso said. He recommends being as transparent as possible without violating students’ rights. He acknowledged that it is nearly impossible to stay ahead of rumors and inaccurate information posted on social media by students, which is then shared with parents and others in the community.

During the past several years, the Palmerton Area School District has had to deal with social media posts that some considered threatening. Two years ago, a post with Ku Klux Klan implications showed up on a Twitter account posts. School officials notified parents of the situation but not the specifics of the messages. They did, however, assure parents that there were no specific threats and that the schools remained safe. As a precaution, police were stationed at the high school while the investigation continued.

Also two years ago, about this time of year, someone wrote a threat on a bathroom wall at Panther Valley High School. Officials said there was never any danger to students. That same week, there were bomb threats at Jim Thorpe High School and the Lehighton Area Middle School, but no devices were found.

Police say that these types of incidents tend to be more prevalent near holiday breaks, spring break and the end of the school year.

Macaluso said it is important during incidents that one representative be named to address the media and the public. It could be the superintendent, as it was in Macaluso’s case in the Red Lion shooting, or someone appointed by the superintendent to serve in that capacity.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com