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Civil penalties for parents whose children threaten schools could deter threats from occurring, a Florida Board of Education member suggested Tuesday.

A 14-year-old killed four and wounded nine in in September, setting off a wave of 鈥渃opycat鈥� school threats in Florida and around the nation. The increase in threats prompted sheriff鈥檚 departments and school districts in Florida to remind students and parents that threats are illegal and not a joke.

Tuesday, State Board of Education Member Ryan Petty echoed the superintendents and sheriffs: School threats are not a joke.

鈥淲hen many of these perpetrators that made the threat were confronted by law enforcement, they seemed to think it was a joke,鈥� Petty said in a brief interview with the Florida Phoenix during a break in a board meeting.

Petty鈥檚 daughter, Alaina, was killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Students don鈥檛 seem to understand the seriousness of such threats and neither do parents, said Petty, adding that sometimes parents have been dismissive or unserious about responding to law enforcement pressing charges against their child who made a threat.

Petty said during his conversations with sheriffs and state attorneys they have told him they 鈥渁re looking at options to hold parents accountable.鈥�

During Tuesday鈥檚 Board of Education meeting at Tallahassee State College, Petty said parental accountability for school threats 鈥渕ay be something that the Legislature needs to take up next year.鈥�

The cost of investigating threats, Petty said, can run to thousands of dollars each time officers are sent to schools and homes to investigate, investigate online, contact social media companies, and take other measures to ensure safety. Some sheriff鈥檚 departments have had to refocus detectives toward investigating school threats amid the 鈥渙nslaught,鈥� according to Petty.

Petty told the Florida Phoenix that he thinks parents might keep better track of what their child is doing online if they were civilly liable for school threats made by their children.

Following the shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia that killed four people, the with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children.

In Michigan, the parents of a school shooter in prison for their role in four deaths. They were convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

鈥淚鈥檓 not proposing or advocating for anything that goes that far, but what I鈥檓 suggesting is that parents might be held responsible for the financial costs of the threats their kids are making, so the very real costs that law enforcement have in investigating these threats and determining whether or not they鈥檙e real or not,鈥� Petty said.

More work needs to be done to determine which threats are hoaxes earlier on, to preserve resources for serious threats or other crimes, he said.

鈥淏eing able to filter the real threats from the jokes, I think, is an area that 鈥� I don鈥檛 know that there鈥檚 necessary legislation there. But it鈥檚 something that we need to figure out how to do because we can鈥檛 keep chasing hundreds of, you know, jokes.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 your responsibility鈥�

Petty said it can come down to parents and children being transparent about social media use.

鈥淚鈥檝e got a message for parents that are listening,鈥� Petty said. 鈥淵ou need to understand what your kids are doing online. These threats are often made online over social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and other facilities. It鈥檚 your responsibility to understand what your kids are doing on social media.鈥�

Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. echoed that thought.

鈥淚 want to send a clear message to our students and to their parents: Threats of any kind will not be tolerated, and you will be prosecuted to the highest degree possible,鈥� Diaz said.

Diaz said a 鈥渢remendous鈥� number of threats have been made by 鈥渕isguided students鈥� and have 鈥渘ot been credible.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: [email protected]. Follow Florida Phoenix on and .

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