Panicked Parents, Cautious Cops Keep Kids at Home on 9/11

More than 500 middle Georgia students were kept home on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in response to what turned out to be a bogus threat on Facebook.

According to the Morgan County Citizen, the Madison City Police Department issued a Facebook posting addressing “rumored threats” that were to carried out on the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

In his blog, conservative commentator Michael Graham wrote, “Some knucklehead on Facebook under the user name ’General Greg Black’ of the ‘United States Confederate Army’ posted a message claiming that a buddy with inside info in the NSA told him that the Black Panthers had scheduled an invasion of schools in South Carolina.

“ ‘The Black Panthers have been given the order to go into schools and colleges and kill all white kids and teachers. They’ve also been given the order to kill all white cops and crackers … I urge you to all stay in groups of at least 4 or more if possible ... Please do not send your kids to school on Monday ... ‘ ”

Madison police posted this response:

“The Madison Police Department is aware of the rumored threats aimed at Friday, September 11, 2015. Although the threats are not directly related to one particular Morgan County School or one particular government organization we will have an extra presence around all school campuses tomorrow. We will also do our best to protect each of our law enforcement brothers and sisters who are working in the City and the County tomorrow.”

News of the postings spread throughout Morgan County, resulting in more than 500 school absences on Sept. 11, according to the Morgan County Citizen.

Later, the department revised its original post:

“The Madison Police Department is aware of the rumored threats aimed at Friday, September 11, 2015 … The only threats received have been general throughout the Nation, and nothing specific to Madison, GA. There is talk of a rally at Stone Mountain, but that is the only location mentioned in Georgia. The Police Department and Sheriff’s Department will have added patrol tomorrow around the schools just as an added precaution. This message is NOT to alarm anyone; it is to let people know we are aware of it being the anniversary of 9-11. The protection of our community and our children is of the utmost importance, and we will be available if needed. This message is to inform and not intended to alarm.”