EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The Eau Claire Police Department is investigating a threat made towards a member of the Eau Claire Area School District’s Board of Education Monday.
According to a release from the ECASD, the threat was emailed.
At the beginning of the ECASD’s Board meeting Monday night, Board President Dr. Tim Nordin said that a threat was emailed to him and was directed at him and his family.
The ECPD is investigating the threat and had three officers at Monday night’s meeting as a precaution. The release stated that because it is an ongoing investigation, no other information would be released. Nordin said he planned to make a formal statement “in the coming days” but was advised to wait until police conducted their investigation.
The Eau Claire Area School District and Board of Education would like to make our community aware of a threat made via email today regarding the Board of Education meeting this evening at 7 p.m.
The Eau Claire Police Department is investigating the threat at this time and will have a presence at tonight’s meeting.
The meeting will also be streamed live via instructions found at our ECASD website.
As this is an ongoing police investigation, no further information is currently available.
The school board meeting was streamed on the ECASD’s Board of Education website .
According to the agenda for the meeting, the Board of Education was set to approve wage increases of 4.7% for non-affiliated and hourly employees for the 2022-23 school year. The cost would be $1.677,831 and would fit into the school district’s budget.
The Board also considered contractor bids for replacing the Memorial High School parking lot and recognize Longfellow Elementary School for its Kindness Olympics .
Tim Nordin released a letter to the Eau Claire Community on the incident.
To the Eau Claire community,
On Monday, March 21, at 12:12pm, I received an email threat to my school board-assigned email from an anonymous sender calling themselves “Kill All Marxist Teachers.” The text of the email was as follows: I am going to kill you and shoot up your next school-board [sic] meeting for promoting the horrific, radical transgender agenda. It’s now time to declare war on you pedos. I am going to kill you and your entire family.
I responded by immediately informing the ECASD and School Board of the threat and together we contacted the Eau Claire Police Department. Given the direct threat to theschool board meeting Monday evening, we made the decision to inform the community of the threat and ensure police presence at the meeting. I am thankful for the expertise and commitment of our law enforcement partners. They have been outstanding in their investigation and in keeping my family and our community safe. At this time we believe that we are safe from this threat.
I don’t think I have to tell you that threats and violence against others are unacceptable. To threaten my wife and children, my board colleagues, the staff of our schools, and, indeed, anyone in our community who would come to a school board meeting, angers me to my very core. I won’t belabor the point that this cannot be a part of Eau Claire.
My message to those whose efforts have resulted in this threat is simple. I will not, and Eau Claire will not, shy away from doing what is right in the face of bullying, threats, and hate. These actions aim to weaken and harm our community, but I am galvanized to continue standing for our children, our teachers, our schools, and all of Eau Claire. Our schools will always be a place for every student, and our community for every person.
My message to the rest of you, the people of Eau Claire Area School District, is simple as well. These are Eau Claire’s schools. This is the Eau Claire community. This is Eau Claire’s election. Others want to control this election by inciting fear in you and driving votes with outside money and news coverage. They, quite literally, are trying to threaten us into submission. I remain unbowed. And I implore each of you to send a message that Eau Claire cannot be intimidated. Our schools are too important to cede to fear. Your vote matters in this election. We must stand together.
Sincerely,
Tim Nordin
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