Think before You Post 

The FBI is warning the public about the serious consequences of issuing threats to schools or colleagues and reminds the public that hoax threats are no joke.  Making a threat against the safety of a person or an organization through social media, by text message, or by email is a federal crime for constituting a threat through interstate communications. Those who post or send such threats can receive up to five years in federal prison.  A reckless and impetuous comment on social media could result in youth beginning their adult life in prison and becoming labeled as criminals for the rest of their days.  The FBI emphasizes that threats to schools and other organizations not only cause serious emotional distress to students, school staff, and parents but also create a great social toll. Schools lose valuable teaching time responding to these threats and state and federal law enforcement agencies spend countless man-hours and resources investigating each threat to determine its credibility and protect the public.