Kids, Schools Face Rising Threats, Homeland Security Chief Says

In an age of increasing physical and online attacks against children and their schools, the efforts of educators and other school professionals are crucial to providing a safe environment where kids can learn, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday.

Speaking at the start of the 2024 National Summit on K-12 Safety and Security, Mayorkas pointed to the Sept. 4 school shooting in Georgia, which left two students and two teachers dead. That attack was one of more than 1,300 episodes of gunfire on school grounds that have occurred since the horrific attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut nearly 12 years ago. Those attacks combined have resulted in at least 436 deaths and 936 injuries, he said.

Mayorkas noted that kids already face a flood of emotions and challenges at the start of any school year. "It is a tragedy that at too many schools across the country these last few weeks have also been defined by terror in the face of an attack," he said.

Meanwhile, schools are also dealing with online threats, Mayorkas said. A cybercrime group claiming responsibility for a recent ransomware attack against a Rhode Island school district says it stole 200 gigabytes of sensitive data like Social Security numbers, medical records and counseling reports. And it's threatening to post the data online if the group isn't paid a $1 million ransom. 

And a group of men from Michigan, including a high school teacher, are facing charges for allegedly using social media to solicit explicit pictures and videos from local children, Mayorkas said.

Mayorkas also pointed to the numerous bomb threats made against schools in Springfield, Ohio, in the wake of debunked but viral claims spread on social media accusing the town's Haitian immigrant population of stealing and eating house pets.

City officials and law enforcement say there's no evidence of cats and dogs being stolen and eaten. Nevertheless, former President Donald Trump amplified the falsehood during the Sept. 10 presidential debate, pulling it into the national spotlight.

The bomb threats against schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield followed. They were all found to be hoaxes, but schools were forced to close and kids missed out on valuable classroom time.

"None of this should be normalized," Mayorkas said. "Schools should be sacrosanct. Children need and deserve a nurturing environment to learn and grow and each of you deserve the ability to focus on what you do best: Teaching, caring for, and inspiring our children."

The annual school safety and security summit, which is in its third year, is a two-day virtual event organized by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The summit brings together government officials, educators and other experts to talk about physical and online security threats against K-12 schools.