Mount Si High School was a-buzz Friday morning, February 13, 2015, as the police investigation into the social media sharing of inappropriate pictures possibly involving Mount Si High School students continued.
The arrest and investigation might be an important reminder and wake up call for students and parents about the consequences of sharing certain photos on social media.
In an email to high school parents on February 12th, MSHS principal John Belcher revealed that on February 11th, a Mount Si student was arrested for allegedly possessing “inappropriate photos of others and to have shared those via social media.”
The statement did NOT say the student took the photos, only that they possessed and shared them online.
Belcher further explained that police believed most of the activity took place at the student’s home on their personal devices.
According to one MSHS student, Friday morning Principal Belcher made an announcement to the student body asking anyone who thought they might be a victim of the inappropiate photos to please come forward.
That student added that some students had been pulled out of class and questioned Friday morning, which they believed was connected to the ongoing investigation.
In Thursday’s Principal email, the school said as police investigate the allegations, they would like to speak with anyone who might have knowledge of the activity – and are asked to contact School Resource Officer Kim Stonebraker at 425.831.8115 or at stonebrakerk@svsd410.org – if they have any information regarding the investigation.
Police and school officials stated they are working to identify potential victims “to ensure they receive the support and resources they may need.”
Snoqualmie Valley School District Public Information Officer Carolyn Malcolm said in the wake of this incident they are “encouraging parents to have conversations with their kids at home about how students can protect themselves online, what to do if they have a concern, as well as what is appropriate and why it’s important.”
SVSD has important Internet Safety resources available to assist parents on their website HERE.
Malcolm explained that Mount Si High School is working closely with the police and because the investigation is ongoing, there is no information beyond that contained Principal Belcher’s email to parents that can be shared at this time.
Mount Si high School says the safety of students and staff at school is their top priority, but “despite ongoing efforts at all our schools to educate students on cyber safety and appropriate behaviors using social media, incidents like this continue to be a challenge for schools and parents to control.”
