Albany County NY December 18 2018

Several students in the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk school district will appear in family court Monday, after reportedly posting inappropriate videos on social media.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said four students created, and posted to Instagram, a video that took place in a mock classroom. It included fake blood, fake weapons made to look real, and “horrific” racist remarks.

Apple said a student saw the video and contacted the school district. At that point, a criminal investigation was begun.

All four students were suspended, Apple said, and will face charges of making a terroristic threat. He said he did not know the age of one of the students involved, but said the other three were 10, 14, and 15.

“This scared a lot of people,” the sheriff said. He added that his office intended to prosecute the case as hard as they can.

A post on the school district’s website states that while the videos made no references to the school district, specific people, locations or scenarios that indicated violence against RCS, the content and the behaviors displayed in the posts warranted a full investigation.

The district post also asked parents to discuss appropriate social media use, and consequences for inappropriate content.

Students and parents alike were encouraged to be vigilant and to say something if they see or hear something concerning, and to reach out if they are in need of assistance.

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