A series of threats against schools across North Texas has law enforcement, district leaders and community members working together to respond.
Dr. Keisha Williams Lankford is a Dallas native and lifelong advocate for children’s well-being, which is why she is calling on local leaders to take action.
“Folks, each and every one of us has a job to do,” Lankford said.
Lankford said he is concerned about reports of social media and online safety threats being made against schools in his North Texas district.
“There’s an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but let’s be honest here, if our kids don’t feel the warmth of the village, they’re going to burn the village down, and that’s what’s happening right now,” she said.
The spike in threats comes on the heels of the shooting death of 17-year-old Kimball High School student, David Washington, last Friday night.
The shooting happened after a fight at a Love’s gas station near Kincaid Stadium.
A few days later, the Dallas Independent School District released a statement saying it was aware of the threats against its various campuses and was taking the allegations seriously.
Dallas police also released a statement saying they were aware of the social media threats against the school.
At DeSoto, a coalition of pastors has pledged to combat violence with their presence and resources around campus and in extracurricular activities.
“As a parent, make sure you know what your kids are doing. And if you’re struggling to navigate parenting, there are resources out there to help you with that,” said Rev. Marcus King of Disciple Central Community Church.
On Monday, ahead of DeSoto’s homecoming game next week, King plans to join others in praying for peace in partnership with the DeSoto Independent School District.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Independent School District requires students to show ID at football games, and adult supervision is required for students not yet enrolled in high school.
Students on teams not participating in games must also be accompanied by an adult or Dallas ISD employee.
