Multiple death threats shuts down Hazelbrook (fight video school)

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

<<Latest update here: Teacher, Victim’s mom speaks >>

Tualatin’s Hazelbrook Middle School evacuated all their students from class after multiple death threats came in.  This happened after a video (possible two) showing a violent attack upon one of their students by another.  It appears that both their Facebook and Twitter were blocked, and no news on their website.

Tigard-Tualatin School District Superintendent Sue Rieke-Smith said these statements at a press conference:

– “The threat today was specific in terms of time and place, and it involved not just this school specifically, but it involved staff members’ homes and families,”

– “We have been fielding multiple threats on social media, email and voicemail for the last couple of days. And so the threat today, however, was specific in terms of time and place.”

– “I’m a woman of faith, as is my husband, a man of faith, you know, and we believe that, you know, the Good Lord has us in the palm of his hands. So this is really righteous anger about [the threats] keeping us from doing what we do very well in this district, which is serving kids.”

– “These are minors. Not only the originator and the victim, but children who are in the hall and all of their identities have been compromised, and in no permission was given. Yet in the age of social media, we think we can post them everywhere and have no sense of responsibility on the impacts on those children.”

Tualatin police/Washington County have said, “On September 20, 2023, an incident occurred at Hazelbrook Middle School in which one student attacked another student in the hallway. The incident was captured on multiple cell phone cameras and has since gone viral on social media. While we are unable to provide specific details, due to Oregon law protecting the privacy of juveniles, we want to keep the community informed about the steps that have been taken to ensure student and community safety.The youth alleged to be responsible for the incident has been arrested and charged by the Tualatin Police Department. The Washington County Juvenile Department has received a law enforcement referral in this matter, and a petition has been filed with the Juvenile Court for Assault 4 and Harassment. As this case proceeds through the juvenile court system, we are prohibited from sharing further information about the youth and the court process….”

Special note: The Taxpayers Association of Oregon strongly condemns any form of death threat and/or bomb threats as we ourselves highlighted a bomb threat story on this website against Oregon journalist Andy Ngo just four days ago.  Any such threat is a threat to civil order.  And such civil order is in decline in Oregon where more and more people increasingly use violence and threats to act out — both conservative, liberal and populist persuasions.  All of it is 100% wrong.   We are also not ignorant that mentally abused people and imposters also contribute to making death threats.   As for the issue of privacy of the victims in the videos, we felt it responsible to block any faces of the students and chose not to include the videos within the story.   We also did not include details that we could not confirm on the identity/purpose/nature/politics of the attacker in the video.   Getting ahead of a criminal investigation or making statements as fact when those facts may be incorrect — and if they are incorrect does a great disservice to the victims, the truth, the innocent, the School District public servants and can often benefit the criminal in the end.   The more unruly, unfair and unethical the public becomes over a crime story the more excuses/power a government body/media has to block the story or shift it away from the crime and unto the public’s actions.   A crime has been committed, one that parents across Oregon say this happens all the time.   This could be a breakthrough moment for exposing how victimized our students are in our public schools and could lead to change.  We should all be focused on getting answers, hold people accountable and make lasting change.