The Smiths Station High School threat case highlights HB7 crackdown on school terrorist threats as Alabama lawmakers advance legislation aimed at strengthening penalties and improving school safety statewide.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, authorities arrested 18-year-old Dontae Deshawn Ford, a former Smiths Station High School student, after investigators identified him as the individual responsible for making a social media post threatening to shoot up the school.

Investigators took Ford into custody while at his home and he admitted to making the threat.

Ford was charged with making a terrorist threat in the first degree. He is currently being held in the Lee County Detention Center on a $15,000 bond, with $2,000 cash required. He is also prohibited from being on school or educational facility property.

HB7 — brought by State Rep. James Lomax (R-Huntsville), who was just appointed as the Alabama House Majority Whip — would clarify the legal definition of credible threats and strengthen penalties for individuals who make threats that disrupt school operations or threaten violence. The legislation also reinforces coordination between school officials and law enforcement when threats occur.

State Sen. Matt Woods (R-Jasper), who prefiled HB7 before being elected to State Senate, said stronger deterrence measures are necessary to protect students and educators.

“We need our students and school employees focused on learning, not lockdowns,” Woods previously told Yellowhammer News. “Threats to schools and churches are serious and must be treated as such.”

HB7 is currently progressing through the legislative process as lawmakers continue prioritizing school safety measures across Alabama.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at sherri@yellowhammernews.com.

An Athens teen previously taken into custody over online threats has now been formally indicted on multiple Class A felony charges after investigators say he conspired with extremist online groups and targeted police officers serving as school resource officers at Athens High School.

FOX54 reported the details contained in the Limestone County Grand Jury indictment.

According to the report, 18-year-old Carson Albert Butler faces a five-count indictment alleging terrorism, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The indictment accuses Butler of planning actions meant to intimidate or coerce, and of attempting to cause the death of multiple individuals, including students, faculty and staff at Athens High School. Circuit Court Judge Matthew ordered that he be held with no bond.

Authorities confirmed that the 11 individuals named as targets in the indictment are school resource officers. Count 2 alleges Butler attempted to intentionally cause their deaths, while Count 5 focuses on alleged attempts to kill members of the school community.

The filing also identifies several groups and aliases the teen allegedly aligned with in the planning stages.

Those listed include “764,” “8054181698 Datura,” “No Lives Matter”/“NLM,” “MKU,” “MKY” and individuals using the online names “antichrist,” “klassk” and “maxoblivion.” According to the information, the groups are associated with violent extremist rhetoric, neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and in some cases, other criminal activity.

Butler has been in custody since June, when Athens Police say the then-17-year-old posted an online threat targeting Athens High School’s students, staff and school resource officers. Investigators notified the school system because summer events were planned on some campuses, and the department assigned both uniformed and undercover officers to bolster security.

Based on information from the FBI, Athens Police identified Butler as the suspect and assisted the Bureau in locating him. The department stated that Butler previously attended Athens High School but was not a student when the threats were issued.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by District Attorney Brian C. T. Jones of the 39th Judicial Circuit. An initial court appearance that had been scheduled for Friday has been moved to the morning of December 10.

In a statement from Athens City Schools:

“Law enforcement officials have informed us that, following an extensive investigation conducted by multiple agencies, a former student has been identified and is in custody in connection with an online threat of mass violence targeting Athens High School. First and foremost, we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. The individual has been in custody, and there is no active or ongoing threat to our students, staff, or campus. Threats of violence to any school are entirely unacceptable, and we are deeply grateful to our law enforcement partners for their dedication, vigilance, and thorough response. While we continue to learn more about the circumstances surrounding this event, please note that it is an active and ongoing legal matter, and we are unable to provide further details or comments at this time. As always, we will continue to prioritize the safety of everyone in our school community.”

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at sherri@yellowhammernews.com.

Mobile County School Board members announced during their June 26 meeting that several new safety enhancements will soon be put into place.

An enhanced safety plan, which promises to be more comprehensive, includes an advanced weapon detection screening, a revised cell phone policy, clothing, backpacks, and vape detection. In a letter sent to parents on June 26, MCPSS Superintendent Chresal Threadgill said that during the second semester last year, he would make recommendations for safety enhancements and wanted to share those recommendations with parents.

“This research included exploring the most state-of-the -art technologies that are currently available, conducting surveys with all stakeholder groups, and having focus group discussions with students,” he said. “Your input allowed us to make informed decisions about the safety and security of all MCPSS schools and campuses.”

“The security was much needed,” said school board member Johnny Hatcher. “We’ve had several school shootings in the past two years alone. It’s very concerning, and we’ve added deputies at some of the schools. Anything we can do to help bolster this, I’m all for it.”

Major parts of the enhanced safety plan include:

• Advanced weapons detection: The advanced weapon detection screening, called Evolv, has already been installed at several middle and high schools. Evolv is ten times faster than traditional metal detectors, and allows students to move through security at a normal pace without having to empty their pockets. If a weapon or other questionable item is detected, it is noted on a video monitor so administrators can identify or search that student.
• Cell phone policy: MCPSS will enforce existing policy that prohibits students from using cell phones, ear buds, and smart watches during class. This school year, special pouches will be issued to students to store their phones, or the phones themselves will be locked in a special box in the morning and returned to the student at the end of the day.
• Clear backpacks: Clear backpacks will be required at all MCPSS schools starting with the 2025-2026 school year. MCPSS will provide clear bags to students next year, free of charge.
• Halo vape detection: MCPSS will begin installing vape detection devices in middle and high school restrooms and other areas as deemed necessary.
• Hoodies: Hoodies will not be allowed this school year. Schools throughout the system will provide more information.

School Board president Don Stringfellow said the weapons detection system is cost effective considering the number of schools in the system, and personnel will be at the doors manning the systems. Currently, at least 20 of the systems are in different schools at $100,000 each.

“We will have personnel at those doors, be it some of our security officers or resource officers,” he said. “We’ll have people there. It won’t be like TSA, where you have to stop and take your shoes off, stuff like that. As time goes on, we’ll add more sheriff’s deputies if funds are available and if there’s availability.”

Stringfellow said the security plan, which also includes existing security measures in the school system, is “multi-layered.”

“Cell phones are a very big issue, and we’re hoping that the new policy will not only help with distraction, but will help out academically,” he said. “You can’t have kids with earbuds listening to music or texting somebody across the room and not listen to what a geometry teacher is telling you. The number one intent behind the plan is to keep children safe.”

One parent, who wished not to be identified, said she was concerned about the new cell phone restrictions.

“Why wouldn’t you take cell phones from teachers as well?” she said. “You have to lead by example. When school is on lockdown, it can be about an hour before word gets out. Sometimes, the word doesn’t even get out. What if the child had to call his/her parents in case of an emergency?”

Threadgill said that while not everyone would be satisfied with the new measures, they were necessary to ensure students were in a safe learning environment.

“We’re doing this with the best interest of your students’ safety and well-being at heart,” he said in the letter to parents. “We want them to come to school every day to learn, and we want them to be safe while they are in our care. No plan is completely perfect, and anything you do involving safety also involves some sacrifices.”

Courtesy of Call News.

The Blount County and Macon County Sheriff’s Departments have been awarded the Larry Amerson School Safety Scholarship, Global K9 Protection Group announced. The scholarship is named for late Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, who died in 2020 after a battle with cancer.

The Paws on Patrol School Safety Program was created to boost public and school safety initiatives. It comes with elite canines as well as training and certifications for two School Resource Officers.

State Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston) addressed the group to express his thanks for Paws on Patrol helping school systems in Alabama become safer. 

“A lot of times you don’t get to see the impact of having a deterrent, such as a firearms detection dog,” he said. “We hope these dogs can stop a possible attack before it happens.”

Lisa Amerson, widow of the long-time sheriff and member of the Calhoun County School Board said, “I think it’s an honor to have Larry’s name associated with this scholarship. He created the SRO program for the Calhoun County School District.”

At the awards luncheon in Anniston, Michael Larkin, vice president of Commercial Services for GK9PG, discussed the initiative. 

“GK9PG’s Paws on Patrol School Safety Program is the first in the country to bring together both public and private sector agencies to address gun violence in our schools,” Larkin said.

“Our mission is all about training world-class detection dogs that offer a level of safety and security for every community, which we accomplish by advancing the art and science of detection dog capabilities with our specialized, elite dog training methodology.”

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270

This is a school safety bill.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and on Talk 99.5 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) filed a bill in the Alabama House last week that would charge parents if their child brings an unsecured firearm to school.

Originally, the bill made the penalty a Class C felony, but Drummond says lawmakers are working on dropping it down to a misdemeanor offense.

The state lawmaker promoted her bill on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” Monday.

“I don’t think that this is a gun bill, I think that this is more about school safety for our children and it does not violate anyone’s Second Amendment rights,” Drummond said. “What it does is make parents responsible if that weapon is not secured … we need to get parents’ attention because the safety of our children is what is at risk.

“And I tell people that this bill is something that I felt was rather common sense.”

Drummond reiterated that a parent would only be charged if it was proven the student had the firearm because it was not properly secured by that parent.

“If law enforcement says that this weapon didn’t go off because you, as that child’s father had that gun secured, then it would be no charges against you because you had the gun secured,” she said. “It wasn’t the fact that it just went on campus, but if it was secured, your kid could not use that gun to fire it off or harm other children. And if you go and talk to school administrators, resource officers, and teachers there are a lot of guns that are showing up on our school campuses.”

Drummond emphasized that gun owners need to be responsible with their firearms, especially around children.

“I am a gun owner,” she said, “and I don’t have small children … but I have my grandchildren and nieces and nephews … I have a biometric lock, but I do keep it out of their reach, so I’m being responsible. This bill is very common sense. It just says ‘let’s be responsible,’ and all of the debate that you’ve heard around guns, it’s a lot of irresponsibility going on, and this is a bill that says ‘we can be responsible.’

“Our children’s lives depend on it.”

She also believes this bill has a chance of getting some Republican support, which it would need to pass the Legislature.

“I even talked to the Speaker of the House about it last Thursday,” she said, “and he was getting ready to read it, but he said in concept it sounds like a good piece of legislation.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and on Talk 99.5 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Law enforcement, elected officials and residents gathered at a Cullman elementary school to talk about an uncomfortable issue facing parents – school shootings. They also got to see a demonstration of new technology that offers a possible solution.

State Sen. Garland Gudger went to kindergarten at West Elementary School and opened by saying today’s threats were never something he had to worry about.

“As a father dropping my two boys off at school, you expect them to be safe,” he said. “I can’t imagine what’s happened at some of these other schools across the nation that weren’t able to pick their children up.”

The device is a deployable, ballistic wall unit in classrooms that can also be used as a multipurpose space. Alabama company KT Solutions said the units can be deployed in less than 10 seconds and offers a level of protection that stops up to a .308- caliber round. 

A teacher who showcased the system in her classroom over the past month demonstrated the rapid deployment.

The room can also be used as shelter during severe weather events and other emergencies. 

Kevin Thomas, CEO of KT Solutions, said his company was creating ballistic equipment for the military last year when he felt called to work on this invention in the days that followed the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. 

“We took something that takes most folks two or three years to do, and we did it in eight months,” Thomas said. “What we do have control over is the ability to make things that are innovative in the meantime while we fix the bigger issues.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt commended Thomas on his initiative and said he’d like to see how the system can be implemented in classrooms across the United States.

“It’s great to live in a country where there’s so much ingenuity,” said Aderholt (R-Haleyville). 

State Superintendent Eric Mackey said school safety is the issue that keeps principals up at night.

“From the time they get on the bus until they get home in the afternoon, they are your responsibility,” he said.

Mackey said the device demonstrated is “the one investment in government I can think of that I hope we never use.”

In response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, last week, some Alabama lawmakers are already looking at ways to prevent future mass shootings in the Yellowhammer State.

State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) recently joined Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal” and said the legislature needed to focus on solutions to help keep Alabama’s schools secure.

“Obviously, school safety is extremely important,” he said. “We need to definitely look and make sure that we are funding that appropriately with our school resource officers.”

He said parents shouldn’t have to worry about their children’s security when they were in the classroom.

“Just make sure that our schools are secure,” he said. “We need to make sure that our schoolchildren know that they’re safe, parents know that they’re safe when they drop their child off at school. And make sure that those schools have those resources to secure their schools and have safety officers there on each campus.”

Scofield also highlighted how Alabama had been addressing the mental health issue in recent years, which he said was part of the solution to prevent this type of violence.

“I think also our mental health,” he continued. “We’re making very significant investments in our mental health facilities in Alabama. We are investing significant dollars to these regional facilities, getting them up and going, and I think that Alabama is going to continue to fund mental health in significant ways, and change they way that we deliver those services to those who need it.”

When asked if the legislature might consider red flag laws, the Senate majority leader said he wasn’t sure if it could pass but expected it to come up for debate in the next session.

“That I don’t know,” he lamented. “I’m sure there will be some legislation that will be introduced. I think we’ve had some of that legislation in the past. There’s been talks about it so I would imagine that someone will probably introduce that, be up for debate as would anything. We’ll take a look at it and see.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” Weekdays 9-11am on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee

In the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last week, many are searching for ways to prevent future school shootings.

While some have pushed for stricter gun laws, others believe the focus needs to be on adding more security to the schools themselves.

Recently on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show,” Alabama’s fifth congressional district candidate Casey Wardynski discussed different steps that would help keep students safe in schools.

“I think it’s like most complex problems,” he said. “It’s multi-tiered.”

Wardynski, who is the former superintendent for Huntsville City Schools, talked about steps he took that were successful in preventing violence at the schools.

“[W]e never had a shooting,” he said, “and we had some really rough kids. We had gangs. We headed them off by knowing who they were. We looked at if they were on YouTube putting up beatdowns in the neighborhood of some kid or on YouTube with drugs and money in their hands, we knew who they were.”

The congressional candidate also said they took steps to secure the school building itself to prevent nefarious actors from ever being able to enter the school in the first place.

“We had fences on our property to make sure it was clear where our property was,” he explained. “We enforced all the rules about no drugs, no guns, no nothing near our school. We had school resource officers, and we even did things around transportation because you’ll remember there was a shooting in our state on a bus down south. We had cameras.”

Wardynski said they even looked at safety when designing new school buildings.

“We brought in Army Special Forces as we designed our schools to take the lessons from the attack on Beslan school in Russia and Columbine into account, and so we had a system where we’d trap any bad guys in the hallways and the kids would get out of the building by going from classroom to classroom. Each had adjoining doors so they wouldn’t be trapped like these poor kids were down in Texas.”

When asked if he would support any new gun control laws in Congress, Wardynski reaffirmed his support for the Second Amendment.

“It’s the Second Amendment,” he continued, “I’m for the right to bear arms. It’s already regulated pretty heavily. There’s nothing to do with the Second Amendment that would have stopped this kid. We’ve had plenty of shootings across this country where lots of rules were in place in states that have a lot of control and it didn’t do anything to stop this.”

He emphasized the need to get serious about identifying those who suffer from mental health issues.

“The answers are early identification,” he argued. “This kid had cutting on his face. That’s a warning sign right there. He should have been in the hands of mental health. These other kids in Parkland and Columbine, there were signals there, too. The mental health piece, as Governor Abbott pointed out, is pretty key.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” Weekdays 9-11am on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee

Alabama schools leading in school safety will soon be rewarded for their innovation and excellence.

Attorney General Steve Marshall is inviting public and private schools across the state to submit applications for the 2018 Alabama Safe Schools Initiative Awards of Excellence.

“These awards offer a valuable opportunity to honor schools that are succeeding with outstanding safety plans, to recognize procedures that work well and to encourage implementation of these methods throughout Alabama to keep our children safer,” Marshall said in a release. (more…)

The newly formed Legislative Advisory Committee on School Safety and Security held its organizational meeting at the Alabama State House on Tuesday, with the chair, state Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur), touting the broad partnerships represented on the committee.

The panel, which was created by Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) and tasked with reviewing and vetting legislation involving school security issues, is comprised of legislators, law enforcement officials, educators and mental health professionals.

McCutcheon, who addressed the meeting, explained that he hopes it will serve as a valuable resource for lawmakers by providing advice, input and counsel on school security measures that are introduced in upcoming sessions of the Alabama Legislature.

Collins, who is considered one of the state’s leading voices on education issues, previously led a similar Emergency Task Force on School Safety and Security that was formed in 2016. This past task force recommended several school security statutes that have since been passed into law and enacted. (more…)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday announced more than $70 million in grant funding to “bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident,” according to a press release.

This funding included significant money for Alabama, which Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1), who is a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, applauded in a separate press release.

“I was proud to support increased funding for school safety grants earlier this year, and I am thrilled to see that Alabama will benefit from the funds,” Byrne said. “With these funds, state and local officials will have more resources for school safety training, mental health training programs, and school violence prevention. I appreciate the Trump Administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for their help in securing this critical funding.”

The specific grants for Alabama are as follows: (more…)

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) announced on Monday his bill to provide school officials with better information regarding students concerning school safety.

The Make Schools Safer Act ensures that the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences includes studies and resources surrounding school safety and mental health in the What Works Clearinghouse, which educators, counselors and principals have access to.

“School safety should be a priority for every level of government. While I do not want the federal government to mandate how schools protect their students, I believe it is appropriate for the federal government to provide high-quality research and information to schools about the best practices for keeping students safe, coordinating with law enforcement, and identifying at-risk students. My bill offers a simple yet profound step toward making our schools safer,” Byrne, who serves as a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said in news release. (more…)

Thursday, Eric Mackey, Alabama state superintendent of schools, announced that the department would be requesting extra funding for school safety, math and reading programs and transportation once the legislature returns in March of 2019.

Mackey said the department would be seeking a $30 million in nurse funding and a pre-K special education funding increase of $16.8 million.

“That does not pay for one more nurse than is out there,” Mackey said. “They’re paying for that now. If we can fund that, that frees up other local money.”

Among the different proposals is a $5 million increase to provide extra support for dyslexic students and focuses greatly on the Alabama Reading Initiative. (more…)

Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale on Thursday announced a new comprehensive school safety plan to ensure the safety and security of all the county’s students, faculty and staff.

Core elements of Hale’s plan include placing a School Resource Deputy (SRO) in every Jefferson County school – elementary, middle and high – and forming an assessment team within the School Resource Division to identify students who exhibit specific behavioral patterns that may indicate a need for assistance.

“This is a great day for Jefferson County students, their parents and school staffs and ensures our students are as safe as possible. It also reinforces that Jefferson County is leading the nation in school safety,” Hale said in a statement. (more…)

In an interview on “Fox and Friends” this past week, Blount County School System Superintendent Rodney Green expressed his strong support of Alabama’s new “In God We Trust” law as beneficial to student and faculty comfort.

The state legislature in March approved a bill that took effect June 1 allowing the national motto to be displayed in public buildings, including schools.

Alabama schools systems now have the decision-making power to display the motto or not, and Blount County is viewed as a test for the rest of the state.

Green explained to “Fox and Friends” the significance of the new law, which he enthusiastically praised.

“We’re just excited to have the opportunity to display our national motto inside our public school classrooms,” he emphasized. “It’s an opportunity for our students and our faculty to build pride and unity in our school system.”

Green is confident that displaying “In God We Trust” will give his jurisdiction’s students a higher level of comfort during school hours because it recognizes a higher authority as the ultimate protector of man. (more…)

Alabama state Rep. David Standridge (R-Hayden) was interviewed Tuesday on “Fox and Friends First,” where he discussed the state’s new law that allows “In God We Trust” to be displayed in public buildings.

Standridge, who sponsored the legislation in the state legislature, explained that the idea came in part out of recent debate about school safety. He said he views displaying the national motto as a way to bring added comfort to students, teachers and staff while they are at school.

Along the way, Standridge was shocked by the number of people who were afraid to touch the subject, due to what he views as a modern-day culture of hypersensitivity and “political correctness.”

Media outlets like AL.com and the Associated Press reported that legal challenges are “expected,” but, like Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Standridge does not see an issue with simply displaying the national motto – which he points out was passed by Congress and is featured on American currency.

“It’s a simple message, but I believe it’s a powerful message,” Standridge said on “Fox and Friends First.” (more…)

As educators prepare for a new school year, leading their discussions is the issue of keeping students safe, in a time when no corner of the country seems immune to school violence.

Tuesday, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham hosted a school safety forum with two local superintendents, the president of the Alabama Education Association, a state legislator and the former president of the National Rifle Association. While they differ on how to keep students safe, they agreed on one point: Something needs to be done. In a perfect world, they said, every school would be assigned its own police officer, known as a school resource officer (SRO).

(more…)

While he still used the platform to promote the Trump Administration’s tough immigration policies, Attorney General Jeff Sessions returned his department’s focus to the issue of school safety on Monday, during a speech to the National Association of School Resource Officers.

“At the direction of President Trump, the entire government has put renewed attention on this issue,” Sessions said to the gathering of law enforcement officers, nearly 30 of whom were from Alabama.

“We at the Department of Justice are investing in you in many ways and in particular by providing funding for cities and states to hire school resource officers,” he said.
(more…)

Enough!

I have had it with politicians pussyfooting around the fact that schools need greater safety measures.

This isn’t rocket science. Believe me, it isn’t.

While I vehemently oppose gun control or legislation that limits a citizen to exercise their second amendment right, I am certainly in favor of increasing safety measures in American schools.
(more…)

A plan by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to let principals and other administrators store weapons on campus so they can respond to shootings drew mixed reactions Thursday, with an education group expressing support and the NAACP calling it “the absolute worst idea.”

Ivey’s “School Sentry Program” would allow administrators in schools that do not have a law enforcement officer on campus to access a weapon kept in a fingerprint-controlled safe. (more…)

House Speaker Mike Hubbard, Sen. Dick Brewbaker and Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin hosted a press conference in the State House today to unveil their proposals to make Alabama’s schools safer. Following a public hearing and several months of discussions with stakeholder groups, the report provides legislative recommendations aimed at ensuring the safety of Alabama schools.

The Montgomery Advertiser’s South Union Street blog said the GOP’s plan would “require schools to have active shooter and intruder drills; create a crime for trespassing on a school bus; and allow school districts to hire certified, trained officers as resource officers; have the Alabama Department of Homeland Security create an active shooter preparation course for school personnel; increase funding for active shooter training for law enforcement; encourage the expansion of mental health support services in schools; and push the School Safety Task Force to continue to hold regular meetings.”

The report and ensuing legislative proposals are a response to the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School which occurred in December of last year.

The full 7-page report can be read below.

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