TCSS: Lack Of Public Details Doesn't Signal Inaction After Threatening Video Surfaces

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa County School System officials on Friday continued to field a deluge of concerns from parents and members of the community after a YouTube video began circulating this week that featured an individual making threats to carry out a school shooting in Northport.

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Despite TCSS Superintendent Keri Johnson providing two separate updates to parents concerning the situation on Thursday, many on social media, along with several who have reached out to Patch, have expressed frustrations at the lack of specifics provided.

The situation around such a video is indeed complicated and one that potentially involves a minor making criminal threats. However, as this reporter noted when watching the video in question, the young man does not explicitly name a school and only references Northport when he is asked by the host of the web show he appeared on.

Still, in the video, the individual threatens to shoot Black students at an unnamed elementary school — a threat to be taken serious given the current social climate and the increasing frequency of violence in American schools.

TCSS also elaborated on Friday by saying the individual who initially posted the video as part of an online web show has since added a comment to the post saying he was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and "chose to remove the threatening language from his video."

"The Tuscaloosa County School System will not tolerate threats of violence toward our students or schools," Johnson said in another update to parents on Friday. "We also will not tolerate racially-motivated language. Our TCSS Code of Conduct outlines consequences for these behaviors. Any student who engages in these behaviors will face the maximum punishment possible, allowable by our Code of Conduct."

As was cited to Patch after the video was obtained, TCSS once again explained that federal student privacy laws limit what information a school system can disclose with respect to disciplinary measure for an individual student.

On the law enforcement side, it's also worth mentioning that the Alabama legislature passed a law in 2021 prohibiting police from releasing any identifying information concerning juvenile defendants, such as photographs, likeness and personal information.

Johnson then flatly said it was incorrect for anyone in the community to equate the lack of clarity with inaction on the part of the school system.

"In situations of threats toward our schools and students, we will administer discipline, while still abiding by federal privacy laws," she said. "Law enforcement proceedings and discipline within the school system are two separate processes. Regardless of what happens in the legal system, our Code of Conduct still applies and will be enforced. The outcome of a law enforcement investigation is not decided by the Tuscaloosa County School System."

One of the most consistent concerns voiced by parents and those in the community centered on exactly how the school system determined that there was no threat following the video widely circulating among the TCSS community.

"When an investigation finds a threat to be 'not credible,' that means there is no evidence of an imminent plan to carry out a threat," she said. "However, our Code of Conduct carries serious consequences for threats, regardless of whether intent exists to carry out the threat. Students should understand that if they make a threat toward our schools, whether they mean it or not, they will face the same consequences."

Much remains intentionally unclear at this time regarding the individual who made the threats, with no word given on if he is a TCSS student or is facing criminal charges as a result of the comments.

Johnson explained that TCSS officially intentionally did not repost or share the link to the video that contained the threat, not to be vague, but so as to not contribute to the spread of such content that could influence copy-cat behavior.

"Upon initial inspection, we also could not be certain the video had not been edited or manipulated in some way by the individual who posted it," she said. "For many reasons, it would have been irresponsible for us to repost the video."

The superintendent went on to say that the threats were first brought to the attention of TCSS officials by those in the community who spoke up, which Johnson said underscores the need for vigilance.

"While we may not be able to share further details about this specific incident, know that is it being approached with the utmost concern for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff," Johnson said.

As Patch previously reported, TCSS also reminded those in the community of its Speak Up for Safety tip line, where confidential information can be submitted anonymously.

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