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Parent urges immediate district action on online predation after son’s death; superintendent schedules FBI outreach for parents and staff
Summary
A Shippensburg parent urged the board to prioritize education and prevention on online predation and sextortion following her son's homicide; the superintendent said the district has worked with the FBI and scheduled parent and staff sessions this spring.
Tricia McCheskey, a Shippensburg Township parent, delivered an emotional public comment at the Feb. 10 board meeting asking the district to take immediate action to educate parents, faculty and students about online predation, sextortion and related threats. McCheskey said her son, a 13-year-old middle-school student, was “preyed upon, blackmailed, and extorted” and later died; she described the dangers of social and gaming apps and urged the board to provide training for staff and immediate, age-appropriate education for students and families.
“My son was the victim of a crime,” McCheskey said. “He did not do anything wrong. He was preyed upon, blackmailed, and extorted. He was a child.” She called for urgent, concrete education and said optional sessions next year are insufficient: “Optional sessions for your staff and talking with students next year is not okay.”
Superintendent Mister August responded that the district’s administrative team had met with the FBI in January to discuss online sexual exploitation and that the FBI will provide sessions at multiple levels. August said the FBI will return for staff sessions and will hold an evening event for parents on March 18, with additional training planned for the district faculty in June. He invited McCheskey to participate in those events.
Several board members and community members echoed calls for an ad hoc mental-health committee and for increased counseling capacity and student supports. A board member summarized feedback from students and recommended more frequent, face-to-face check-ins and mentor/peer-support ideas; other board members highlighted the district’s role in convening resources and the need to prioritize counselor access.
Why this matters: McCheskey’s testimony described a criminal incident involving a student and called for immediate, districtwide prevention and awareness work. District and law-enforcement partnerships, including FBI briefings, are typical precursors to community training; the superintendent announced specific upcoming parent and staff training dates.
