Statement from White Oak ISD

In an effort to bring some clarification to the events over the weekend, the district would like to share the following:

• The picture posted last Friday evening is being treated as a terroristic threat against White Oak ISD.
• White Oak Police Department is currently investigating this action and will determine when and if any arrests will be made. The district enjoys a positive working relationship with the WOPD and is working closely with them to bring this matter to its proper conclusion.
• WOPD has sole authority and full discretion to make an arrest. This level of legal authority is not assigned to the district.
• The safety of our students, faculty and staff is, and has always been, the top priority of the leadership of White Oak ISD. This situation is a testament to our commitment to that priority. Action was taken to notify the police immediately and the correct person was identified as the creator of the post. As a result, when our students arrived at school on Tuesday, they were never exposed to the threat posted Friday evening.

I want to once again assure the students, faculty, staff and community of White Oak ISD that your safety is a daily focus of this leadership team. I acknowledge that the lack of detailed information can be frustrating. As a district, we are bound by law to protect the privacy rights of the minors entrusted to our care, even when bad decisions are made and consequences are required.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your overwhelming display of public trust in the White Oak Independent School District. Attendance, district wide, on Tuesday, February 20th was just shy of 95%. The district sees this as a testimony to the commitment we have to protect and educate your children on a daily basis.

On Friday evening, February 16, 2018, a picture was posted on the web that threatened harm to our school system. This threat was taken very seriously and White Oak PD took swift action to investigate the validity of the threat. By mid-morning, Saturday, February 17th, it was determined the threat was not real. Instead, it was a very ill-advised “prank” that led to a heightened level of concern for the District Leadership Team, White Oak PD and many members of the community.
Rest assured that this situation was handled swiftly, thoroughly and with the extreme level of concern merited by the message/picture sent. For those in the community that notified officials to raise this concern, Thank You for your action and level of awareness that allowed this to be handled in the appropriate manner.

Michael Gilbert
White Oak ISD