School district investigating threat of teacher on Instagram
The School District of Philadelphia is investigating a 16-year-old Julia R. Masterman School student who, officials say, posted a threatening message about a teacher on Instagram.
The School District of Philadelphia is investigating a 16-year-old Julia R. Masterman School student who, officials say, posted a threatening message about a teacher on Instagram.
The boy, who was not identified, was already suspended when the school district's Office of School Safety received a report of the message and launched an investigation. His suspension came last week after being charged with drug possession, said Deirdre Darragh, a school district spokeswoman.
The boy allegedly posted a photo of the teacher to his Instagram account with the caption: "$1,000 bounty, there's money on her head. #bleedblue," Darragh said. He has since removed the photo from his Instagram page, she said.
It was unclear why he posted the photo, Darragh said. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive.
Darragh said the district treats threats via social media "just the same as any other type of infraction."
Instagram, Twitter and similar sites have "definitely become more of a platform that students use" for infractions, including cyberbullying, she added.
"We take them seriously and they're followed up on by the Office of School Safety," she said.
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