Plainfield Teen Who Threatened to Stab Teacher Back in Class; Staffers Voice Safety Concerns

Teachers are expected to turn out in force to Monday’s District 202 school board meeting to voice their concerns about recent threats against faculty.

Some staff members are upset after the school board voted 4-3 Feb. 9 to allow a student to return to school after threatening to stab a teacher via Twitter, Association of Plainfield Teachers (APT) president Dawn Bullock said.

The school board’s vote came despite a recommendation of alternative placement from building administrators.

“Teachers are concerned that the safety of students and staff is not the board’s top priority and they are extremely disappointed by the lack of support from the Board regarding this issue,” Bullock said in a statement sent to APT members.

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The teacher in question, longtime Plainfield Central High School physics teacher Nickey Walker, said the board’s decision calls into question whether staff safety is a priority.

“I definitely feel that the safety of our students is our primary mission and the safety of our staff is too,” Walker said. “We need to be able to look at each other and know we’re going home at night.”

Walker said the Twitter threat came to light after it was intercepted by a federal agency shortly after it was posted on Jan. 29.

“If I don’t get a 23/30 with this Reading Log, I’m gonna stab Mrs. Walker,” the Tweet read.

It wasn’t the first time the teen had Tweeted about Walker’s class, the teacher said. In at least two cases, the student made references to Walker’s class with links to Vine videos. One video depicts a man violently punching, head-butting and kicking until he destroys a door, Walker said.

In another case, the teen Tweeted, “I have homework for 5 out of my 6 classes,” alongside a smiley face with a revolver pointed at it.

Walker said the teen was removed from his first-period class on Jan. 30 and suspended for 10 days pending the board’s decision.

Walker said she did receive an email apology from the student, but the Tweet was not deleted until Feb. 15.

Plainfield school board member Rod Westfall, one of the four members to vote against the administrative recommendation, said officials weighed the case carefully before making a decision.

While he said he cannot comment on individual student discipline, “We take teacher safety very seriously,” Westfall said. He said prior to voting, the board received a packet containing the threat and other details in the case.

“We’re presented with everything and we base our decision on what’s presented to us,” he said.

Westfall, Michelle Smith, Greg Nichols and Kevin Kirberg voted to allow the student to return to class, while Roger Bonuchi, Dave Koch and Bill Slabich voted no.

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, Superintendent Lane Abrell said safety of students and staff is the district’s top priority.

“First and foremost, the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. District 202 has done a tremendous amount of work in recent years to ensure students and staff work and learn in a safe environment,” Abrell said. “It is crucial to understand that the general public does not, and should not know all of the circumstances behind any student discipline situation. The law protects students’ privacy, and we must honor that.”

Not the first threat

Walker said it’s not the first time she — or her colleagues — have been threatened by students.

In January 2014, a different student posted a threat to Instagram, writing, “I’m going to kill my physics teacher,” including the hashtag, “#killmrswalker.”

In that case, Walker said the teen was sent to PCHS’ alternative learning center for one day before being allowed to return to class. Walker said the student was back in class before she even learned of the threat from administrators.

She said other PCHS teachers faced threats in late 2013. In one case, a female student threatened to kill a male teacher when he didn’t let her use the bathroom after her lunch period, Walker said. In another case, a student allegedly attempted to break a teacher’s thumb, she said.

Walker said by letting the students return to class, she felt the district was sending a message to students that they could get away with anything. This year, she said, she hoped that would change.

After last year’s threats, the district created a threat assessment plan to handle similar situations. APT’s new three-year contract with District 202 also contains a teacher protection clause.

“This time, the threat assessment plan was followed to a T,” she said — which is why the board’s Feb. 9 vote came as a shock.

“I was absolutely floored,” Walker said.

“It was debated and the decision was made not to support the administrative recommendation,” Westfall said.

In a message to APT members, Bullock urged staff to attend the Feb. 23 school board meeting.

“Show your support for the teachers and students in our district,” she wrote. “No teachers, staff or students should feel unsafe while in our schools.”

In his statement, Abrell said the district’s threat assessment protocol includes notifying local law enforcement and thoroughly investigate alleged threats.

“Adolescents often say and do things that are ill advised,” Abrell said. “The changing technological world including social media can amplify their ’adolescent’ behavior. Many adolescents do not understand that they can be held accountable for their actions and words if they disrupt or have the potential to disrupt the educational process. We understand this, but we also know that in today’s world, we can no longer simply say, ’It’s just a kid being a kid.’ Therefore, we thoroughly investigate alleged student threats against teachers.”

Abrell went on to say that in every case, disciplinary action is taken.

“Some situations are handled at the building level. Some rise to the Board of Education,” he said. “In those cases the Board reviews all of the information that the Administration prepares, presents, and recommends. The Board then administers disciplinary measures based on the totality of the circumstances.”

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