Bulldog

Statement from Mr. Duane Doyle, Superintendent of Dixon School District and Gary Brankel, Chief of Police, Dixon, MO

December 3, 2019

Student safety has been and always will be the top priority of the Dixon R-I School District and the Dixon Police Department. The District and the Police Department will follow our protocols and policies and handle each situation on the merits of each individual case.

On December 2, 2019, the Dixon Middle School learned of rumors about a possible student threat.  The school began an immediate investigation, which included interviewing multiple students, none of whom provided any reliable information to confirm the rumors. School officials determined that no credible threat was made and that no students or staff members were in danger.  When rumors continued to circulate, law enforcement was contacted.  Law enforcement assisted with further investigation and came to the same conclusion - that there was never any student or staff member in danger at any time.   

To be clear, after an extensive investigation, both the school district and law enforcement have determined that no credible threat of harm existed at any time. 

We commend students for reporting concerns about their safety.  At the same time, it is times like these that we feel compelled to remind the public of the harm that can be caused by spreading unverified rumors. We also remind the public that everything we read or see on social media is not always 100% factual.  Rumors harm the reputation of the person who is the subject matter of the rumors and can cause emotional distress to all involved.  Additionally, students have been unnecessarily frightened and decided not to come to school today, depriving them of their education.   At the school, we will use this incident as a teaching moment and will remind students to act responsibly on social media, to think critically, and to treat all members of our school community in a respectful and welcoming manner.  We ask that parents reiterate these lessons at home.