Parents, union safety officer press Cornwall-Lebanon School Board for stronger measures after TikTok threat

Two residents raised concerns about school safety at the Cornwall-Lebanon School District board meeting on Oct. 20, urging the district to take more proactive steps after a social-media threat led to a lockdown at Cedar Crest Middle School.

Brad Hune, who identified himself as a Local 2016 union representative from Harrisburg and as a Harrisburg Amtrak safety officer, told the board he wants the district to be “proactive” about security rather than “reactive.” He said he and other parents kept children home after hearing rumors about a potential incident at the middle school and asked the board to consider measures such as metal detectors or more security staff. “I would much rather us be proactive,” Hune said.

Courtney Butera, a district parent, described receiving a forwarded image on Oct. 7 that she said threatened a shooting set for 10:06 a.m. the next day. Butera said she called the school office and was told staff were “handling it,” then learned she would have to pick up her child amid ongoing uncertainty. She said the district waited 18 minutes after the time stamp on the allegation before issuing a mass email to families and criticized teachers who, she said, discussed the unverified threat in class. “Why not send the buses back? Why not cancel school the night before?” Butera asked. She also said counseling and other post-incident support were not offered immediately to students.

Superintendent Dr. Stephen Dimencic responded that the district reviews each situation and is limited in what it can say publicly by student confidentiality and safety protocols. “We have three priorities when something occurs, and that’s to keep everyone safe. That’s to make sure that we are communicating factual information. We also want to make sure that we do hold accountable those that are doing it, if we’re able to do that,” Dimencic said, adding the district would continue to evaluate its response procedures.

Board president Mrs. Schlegel thanked the speakers and said the board would take the comments under advisement. No new policies or immediate procedural changes were announced at the meeting; board members said they would review the district’s handling of the incident and consider whether communication or operational practices should change.

Why it matters: The speakers emphasized student emotional safety and the speed and clarity of district communications when unverified threats circulate on social media. Parents said uncertainty and uneven classroom responses increased anxiety for children; the district said it is constrained by confidentiality and will continue to review protocols.

Forum context: The concerns were raised during the public participation portion of the Oct. 20 board meeting. Board leaders said the district acted quickly on the specific incident and will continue to reassess and seek improvements.