The superintendent of education at the Greater Essex County District School Board says students will get a reminder about responsible use of social media after a poem posted over the weekend prompted a police investigation.
The poem, posted on the app Whisper Sunday morning, was mistakenly interpreted as a threat against students and staff at Walkerville Collegiate Institute in Windsor. The app allows users to send a message anonymously and receive replies.
Dan Fister says the school board already has policies regarding appropriate behavior online. Students agree to use social media responsibly when they log onto their Microsoft account.
"When they sign in, they're agreeing to our digital responsibility which has a whole section on the role and responsibility of students," he says. "First and foremost that they conduct themselves in accordance with any school codes of conduct."
He says even when students are not at school, they can be held accountable for what they post.
"If you do something that would be contrary to school policy and it's brought into the school, it's cause for concern. They don't understand the nexus between it going from an external source and then bringing it into the school."
Windsor police investigated, spoke to the student and her parents, and determined there was no threat. However, the police presence was increased at the school Monday as a precaution.
Fister would not comment if the student was disciplined at the school saying that would be up to the principal.