A 14-year-old female student from Sulphur Springs Middle School was detained and transported to a juvenile facility after federal authorities intercepted a social media threat, according to Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent Deana Steeber, Ed.D. The Hopkins County Sheriff's Department was alerted to the threat on Saturday night by federal law enforcement. The student now faces felony charges for making a terroristic threat.
Superintendent Steeber emphasized that while there is no current belief that students at Sulphur Springs Middle School or any other district campus are in danger, the district will continue to take all threats seriously. "We will process each one the same way and advocate for maximum prosecution," Steeber stated, adding that students making threats will face severe consequences, including being banned from school campuses, events, and extracurricular activities for the remainder of the school year.
Steeber urged parents to monitor their children's social media activity and report any threatening behavior to school administration or law enforcement. "This is a dangerous game with severe consequences," she said, vowing that the district would not tolerate any behavior that disrupts the safety and normalcy of the school year.
"We will not live in fear. We stand ready to protect our students and staff using any means necessary," Steeber concluded.
