SLED investigating school response after Chester student made threats, officials say

Prosecutors in Chester County have asked South Carolina police agents to investigate a middle school’s delayed reporting of a student’s threat of violence.

A 13-year-old student at Lewisville Middle School was charged in late October with making threats at school, after a drawing of a shooting was found by a teacher, police said.

School officials did not immediately report the incident to police, said Maj. Dwayne Robinson Sr. of the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.

Randy Newman, 6th Circuit Solicitor, has asked the State Law Enforcement Division to investigate the school district’s response.

In an age of school violence, authorities must be notified to check out every incident immediately, Newman said.

“We have asked the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to conduct an investigation into the incident and the actions of the administrators at Lewisville Middle School and the Chester County School District,” Newman said. “This day and time, we cannot be too careful. We must take even the smallest threat seriously, and we must have the proper authorities investigate every incident.”

Robinson charged the student the day after the incident, but he said that school officials did not report the case to police.

Robinson said he was told by others who heard about the incident and that he initiated an investigation that led to the charge.

“I investigated it myself, and petitioned the student to Family Court on that charge,” said Robinson, who supervises school resource officers in Chester County.

No students or staff were injured, Robinson said.

He described the drawing of shooting violence as “totally inappropriate for school.”

Robinson said that state law requires the school district to notify police.

The teacher who initially found the drawing told administrators at the middle school, Robinson said. But district and school officials did not immediately call police as the school investigated, he said.

Robinson and Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood said a letter was to the school district in the summer before the incident advising school officials of the reporting requirement.

“The school district never contacted us,” Robinson said.

Newman now wants a state investigation to look at the reporting of the threat.

“Not only should we all work together to ensure the utmost safety of our students and teachers, all agencies must follow the law,” Newman said.

Chester County School District Superintendent Angela Bain said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that Lewisville Middle School and schools across the district are safe.

“In this case, school and District administrators reviewed the drawings; talked with the student’s teacher and other adults at the school familiar with the student; talked with the student; and talked with the student’s parent,” Bain said in the statement. “After confirming that the drawings did not constitute a threat and thus that law enforcement did not need to be notified, the school handled the matter internally in accordance with state and federal law.”

The district also welcomed the SLED investigation and is fully cooperating in its review, Bain said.

The name of the student has not been released because of his age.

Family Court proceedings in the case remain pending, said Robinson.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 8:33 AM with the headline "SLED investigating school response after Chester student made threats, officials say."