Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul releases school threat assessment protocol
Attorney General Josh Kaul on Monday released a plan to help Wisconsin school districts assess and deal with threats of violence.
“The Comprehensive School Security Framework and the Wisconsin School Threat Assessment Protocol can assist teachers, administrators, and others who are working to make our schools safer,” Kaul said in a statement.
“We hope that schools across the state will use these resources.”
The plan provides a set of policies, practices and procedures to help guide local efforts to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from violence, according to the statement.
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It also provides guidance on assessing potential violence indicators and diverting identified hazards before violence takes place.
When violence does occur, the plan addresses how proper planning, preparation and training can minimize the severity of the incident and help the school recover more quickly.
Among the highlights of the plan:
- The establishment of a multidisciplinary threat assessment team.
- Defining prohibited and concerning behaviors.
- Establishing policy defining prohibited behaviors that are unacceptable and warrant immediate intervention.
- Creation of a central reporting mechanism.
- Determining the threshold for law enforcement intervention.
- Examining online social media pages, conducting interviews, reviewing class assignments and possible searches of the students' lockers or desks.
- Review of academic, disciplinary, law enforcement and other formal records that may be related to a student.
The plan was formally announced Monday during a news conference at West Milwaukee Intermediate School.