Sympathy over years of bullying led to a lesser charge being filed against the student suspected of making the homecoming week bomb threat at Greendale High School.
The criminal complaint filed late Friday afternoon outlines the way the suspect was reportedly treated by his classmates, including years of teasing and being voted onto homecoming court as a prank.
Knowing how Nicholas S. Olson, 17, was treated, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office — with the backing of Greendale School District administrators — charged him with a single misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. If convicted, he faces up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail.
Had he been charged with the felony count of making a bomb scare, he could have faced up to $10,000 in fines and up to 1-1/2 years in prison, plus two years on community supervision. Olson is due to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon.
Shortly after Greendale Patch reported a student had been arrested for making the threat, readers began commenting that the boy — who had not been named publicly — had been bullied by his classmates. While many hoped there would be consequences for whoever was responsible, others were sympathetic to what a victim of bullying faces.
A few suggested the family of the bullying victim contact an attorney about suing the district, saying more should have been done by administrators to protect the student from his classmates.
According to the complaint:
At 2:33 p.m. Sept. 20, someone from the Greendale High School administration called police to say a bomb threat had been discovered in a boys bathroom of the school.
When police arrived, Principal Steven Lodes took an officer to the bathroom, where they found the message "3 DAYS TILL BOOM JK OR AM I?" written in blue ink on the wall of a bathroom stall. This was the Thursday of homecoming week, with the dance planned for Saturday night.
No activities scheduled that day were canceled, but administrators asked the Milwaukee County Bomb Squad to sweep the campus on Sept. 21 before students arrived. A second sweep was conducted Sept. 24, before classes began the next week. No explosive devices were found either time.
As police investigated, an anonymous tip led them to Nicholas Olson. Police searched his locker and found notebooks and writings he appeared to have made, along with blue pens similar to the type used in the bathroom threat. The handwriting officers found in the locker appeared to closely match the writing on the wall.
Police spoke to Olson on Sept. 25, and say he admitted to writing the threat in the bathroom, because "he was upset and angry." Police also said "he did not have a plan to use any explosive device and further that he did not want to hurt anyone."
The officer knows Olson has been bullied, "teased and taunted by his classmates for many years," according to the criminal complaint, and that he had "just been voted onto the homecoming court as a 'joke' by other students." The officer said something similar happened during last school year's prom.
Police said Olson reported being teased all his life, and the investigating officer said he is "aware that the defendant is ostracized by the other students and appears very depressed due to the situation."
Police said the administration "had a deal of sympathy for the plight of this student." A district representative told the assistant district attorney who prepared the complaint that they agreed "the defendant should not be charged with a felony but rather a misdemeanor due to to the extenuating circumstances which may have led to his conduct."
When is the next school board meeting?
In loco parentis. While on school grounds, teachers and administrators are responsible for the safety of students and for maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. If a teacher or administrator witnesses inappropriate behavior it is their responsibility to intervene. If that is not physically possible, they must report the incident. Sunshine needs to be thrown on this issue, based on other comments here. If incidents are being swept under the rug, who is holding the broom? Let's focus on that instead of frivolous comments about pitchforks.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/118/46 118.46 Policy on bullying 118.46(1)(a)1. 1. A definition of bullying 118.46(1)(a)2. 2. A prohibition on bullying 118.46(1)(a)3. 3. A procedure for reporting bullying that allows reports to be made confidentially 118.46(1)(a)5. 5. A procedure for investigating reports of bullying. The procedure shall identify the school district employee in each school who is responsible for conducting the investigation and require that the parent or guardian of each pupil involved in a bullying incident be notified 118.46(1)(a)6. 6. A requirement that school district officials and employees report incidents of bullying and identify the persons to whom the reports must be made. 118.46(2) (2) By August 15, 2010, each school board shall adopt a policy prohibiting bullying by pupils. The school board may adopt the model policy under sub. (1) (a). The school board shall provide a copy of the policy to any person who requests it. Annually, the school board shall distribute the policy to all pupils enrolled in the school district and to their parents or guardians.
Once again the Educrats who know better than us parents failed in their jobs. Will anyone be held accountable? No. Greendale is not the great place to raise your kids as it once was. Guidance counselors sleeping on the job again, oh well, yawn.
and there are signs for parents to look out for that their child is struggling. removal from activities that they typically enjoy, trying to get out of school, loss of appetite or sleep, etc. you can't tell me he was just fine at home and telling his parents at the dinner table about how great of a day he just had at school and then went to school the next day and wrote a bomb threat in the bathroom. which brings up another point how the parents could know that something was going on at school. TALKING TO YOUR CHILD! i know it's a recently foreign concept...along with this newly found idea that teachers are supposed to raise our children...but i'm willling to bet a few conversations with him could've brought to light at least some, if not all, of the issues that caused him to take the actions that he did. someone earlier said "this was his way of crying for help". what i'm saying is that it's not just on the staff like so many here want to place the blame.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/greendale-high-bomb-threat-prompts-discussion-of-bullying-l7738nt-172393891.html
Surely this is all the fault of George Bush.
I guess its us as parents who have to work even harder if we don't get help from the them.
I still say blame the parents! I know someone who works in another district and she said when parents are contacted about something their child did, they either don't come to talk about it or say "I don't think my child would do that!". It's sad that this is going on not only in Greendale, but every school in Milwaukee, both parochial & public. Kid are going to say mean things, but they have to be ignored. Our teachers and administrators aren't responsible for everything. Please give this subject about Nick a rest!