Superintendent Anthony Soto sent an email to families and staff today, Wednesday, September 25, offering reminders about the importance of following proper social media practices. His email was prompted by a social media post from the preceding evening.
“Last night, an HPS student reportedly posted an image on Instagram that depicted a collection of weapons on a countertop at an unidentified location. We were notified by concerned community members shortly after the post appeared, and we called Holyoke Police who immediately went to the student’s home to investigate,” Superintendent Soto said.
No weapons of any kind were found in the student’s home. Police determined the photo originated elsewhere on the internet and that the student had not taken it. The student now faces disciplinary action, per the district’s code of conduct.
“I want to commend our community members who brought this social media post to our attention. I also send my appreciation to the Holyoke Police Department for immediately responding,” Superintendent Soto said, citing the following reasons for sending the email:
To let you know about this incident and how it has been handled.
To let you know the photo was lifted from the internet, and the student who shared the photo did not take it nor did they have any weapons in their possession.
To remind everyone that if you see, hear, or otherwise become aware of anything potentially dangerous or threatening, please call law enforcement so an immediate investigation can begin. When people share a possibly threatening image with other social media accounts and pages, it creates potentially more danger and allows misinformation to spread widely, which in turn can cause senseless panic.
To ask everyone to speak with their children about proper use of social media. Improperly using social media can lead to serious consequences and can have a big impact on the community that we know and love.