No Charges Filed After Groves Student Sends Threatening Tweet

No charges will be filed after a Groves High School student sent out a threatening tweet the Friday before Birmingham Schools' winter break.

According to Groves' liason officer and Beverly Hills Det. Lee Davis, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office denied a warrant for the teen's arrest, noting that the tweet in question "did not fit the threats criteria."

Groves parents learned of the incident early on Friday, Dec. 21 after officials were alerted overnight to "tweets of a threatening nature" generated by a Groves student and Southfield resident.

Davis said Beverly Hills Police identified the student and took him into custody that night, holding him at the Oakland County Children's Village.

"He apparently Tweeted or put some information on social media that said he was going to do some harm in Groves High School," Beverly Hills Police Lt. Eric Ottney told the Detroit News.

Groves principal Fred Procter assured parents in an email Friday that students were safe coming to class that day — the last day of class before the district's winter break.

"I have been in constant contact with the Beverly Hills Police and have been given their assurance that there no credible threat at Groves," Procter said.

"While some chose to re-tweet the message, others chose to contact me and the police, and this is what led to the ability to investigate the situation quickly and effectively," Procter added.

Students were in class at Groves and across the Birmingham Public School district Friday, with district officials and police reporting no unusual activity or further threats.

However, the threat of violence wasn't new to school officials across Michigan that week. Combined with the week anniversary of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, CT as well as threats surrounding Mayan end-of-the-world predictions, school districts across the state cancelled classes Thursday and Friday.

While the Groves student will not be charged and has been released to his parents, Davis said he believes the teen has been suspended from Groves until further notice. Birmingham Schools spokeswoman Marcia Wilkinson said she couldn't confirm the disciplinary action.

"However, we feel that the situation has been handled," she said.

Birmingham Public Schools is currently in the process of reviewing all its safety and security policies, a decision made in the wake of the Newtown shootings.

"I personally believe we need to feel a sense of shame," Birmingham Superintendent Daniel Nerad told the Birmingham Board of Education at their Dec. 18 meeting. "We must commit to doing better for children and for our schools."

Nerad said the study should be wrapped up by the end of January, at which point district officials will make an official report to the school board and public.