Bomb Threats Explode Across Union and Tulsa Public Schools Districts

By Isabella Quintero

It's been a month since Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters retweeted a Tik-Tok by a Union librarian that snowballed into threats of violence towards the teacher and the school itself, with even more still pouring in. After spreading to other Union schools, as well as the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) district, Union’s 8th grade center received a new threat on the morning of September 14th, over three weeks after the initial threat.

According to News 4, a librarian at Union Public Schools posted a satirical Tik Tok video on August 22 expressing that she wasn't finished pushing her woke agenda at the public school, the caption mentioning that her radical liberal agenda is teaching kids to love books and be kind. Monday evening the video was reposted by a conservative account on X (previously called Twitter), misconstruing the video by not including the caption.

“Democrats say it doesn’t exist. The liberal media denies the issue. Even some Republicans hide from it. Woke ideology is real and I am here to stop it,” Walters said on his own X account after reposting the altered video.

Regardless of his intentions towards woke ideology, the result of amplifying this message endangered the students and teachers of Union Public Schools, and is now spreading elsewhere.

The first threat was sent to Union Public Schools that same day, along with one directed at the librarian and her home. It is unclear if Walters knew of the initial bomb threat before posting the video to his page. Nevertheless, the high visibility of his post heightened the intensity of the hatred towards Union’s librarian, as well as the persistence of the threats.

The threatening emails sent to Union schools. Photo Credit: News 4

Since the initial threat on August 22 targeting Union schools, there have been multiple threats placed on various Union schools including Ochoa Elementary, Peters Elementary, Moore Elementary, and Andersen Elementary. One of the most recent occurred the morning of September 14th, 2023 on the Union 8th grade center. District officials have claimed these threats are non-credible, but for the safety purposes, they are being treated as if they are.

Tulsa police investigating bomb threats at a Union Elementary. Photo Credit: News 6

Police in Tulsa have continued investigating the threats despite their lack of credibility, and expect changes as the situation develops. Campus police in each of the schools targeted have been giving their full attention to investigating these threats and making sure to have the safety of their students and staff at top priority.

“We are aware of the information and are taking it seriously,” said Timothy Stone, Jenks campus Chief of Police, regarding the threats being placed in surrounding schools. “We regularly review and update our emergency procedures guide, ensuring that we’re prepared to respond efficiently to any potential threat.”

News 4 has claimed that they reached out to Walters for an interview, but his office did not respond to their request.

The teachers and students in his state are nevertheless affected by this lack of leadership.

Not only are the threats affecting the safety of the students, but also their health. Elementary children’s learning environment is now frequently–and abruptly–being disrupted by these false threats and the subsequent lockdowns. This is bound to impact their development and ability to feel safe and comfortable, as well as potentially create lasting effects on their relationship with school.

Many parents were rightfully distressed by the threats, not willing to send their children back to school and unsure if they would make it back home to them. This is clearly shown by the dramatic rise in absences since the initial threat according to Tulsa World: Ochoa Elementary attendance increased to 68% absences on August 22, the day of the first threat.

“Safety has been a concern at every school I've worked at,” said Rebecca Rabun, a teacher at Jenks high School. “I think it will only continue to become a more active part of our lives in public education.”

The physical, mental, and emotional toll that threats like the ones sent to Union schools can take on one's life, no matter what age, can be severe. Despite the fact that campus police are confident that they are prepared for any threat, it is impossible to be sure and to completely erase all of the apprehensions that come with going to a public school at a time like this.

This storm of threats being launched into action by a simple video made about kids loving to read and being kind to one another being misconstrued and magnified on a politician’s page is alarming for so many reasons.

Children and teachers need to be able to trust in their communities and leaders to value their safety in order for schools to become safe spaces again. Instead of places where politics create strife and fear, leaders need to focus on how to tackle the animosity that spurs these mistrusts. Additionally, they should prioritize the people who are becoming most responsible for dealing with these fears first-hand: teachers.

“The fact that I would be required to sacrifice myself for the safety of others is not right,” said Rabun, sharing her unsettlement for school safety becoming a part of a teacher's job description. “It should be my choice to do that, not a job requirement.”

It's important that our communities and leaders understand that and work to create change.

“If you hear something, see something, say something,” Chief Stone reminds us. Not only from the harm that can come from direct danger and violence, but also to protect ourselves and others from letting this become the norm.