Mifflinburg officials: 'Threat' caused sudden meeting shift online

Sep. 16—Officials with the Mifflinburg Area School District provided few details about an alleged "threat" that spurred board directors to suddenly shift to an online meeting Tuesday night as dozens of parents and taxpayers waited outside the high school.

Members of the school community continue to challenge directors and administrators about the district's compliance with the state's universal mask order for schools intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Such opposition extends to vaccines and the prospect of mandates for students should a vaccine be approved for all school-age children.

In a video shared on social media, school board President Wendy McClintock is observed announcing the meeting format change to the crowd. She was met with audible skepticism and derision. The crowd demanded proof but none was offered.

Members of the public, approximately 70, soon after made peaceful entry into the building and held an estimated 90-minute town hall session of their own. School officials offered no resistance and there appeared to be no pushing or shoving by the public, one video of the incident shows.

There were no reports of physical confrontations or threats of violence as the public entered the building, Superintendent Dan Lichtel said Wednesday.

Asked why the public was allowed to enter the building in the face of a threat, Lichtel said "I think they pushed their way in after we moved from the doors. I was being told to evacuate, to leave."

In a prepared statement released by the district Wednesday afternoon, school officials said that the district's school police officers consulted with area law enforcement about social media posts and "current public meeting events" in the region.

"This change was made in response to a growing number of threats to our Board and Administrators being reported by numerous staff members to law enforcement agencies," the statement read.

The statement did not specify the threats and Lichtel declined to do so when reached by phone Wednesday. McClintock and Tom Eberhart, school board vice president, did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Threats 'had grown'

Lichtel said school police officers were in touch with Mifflinburg Borough Police, Pennsylvania State Police and "other regional partners." Mifflinburg and other districts including Lewisburg employ their own sworn police force.

The superintendent said the concern was with "cumulative" threats and not a single specific threat. School police officers recommended the meeting format shift, Lichtel said.

"It had grown over a period of time," Lichtel said of the threats.

Mifflinburg Borough Chief of Police Jeffrey Hackenburg said his department was made aware of a social media comment on Monday. While potentially concerning to those involved, Hackenburg said the comment didn't rise to something he'd consider threatening. However, a screenshot of the comment was shared with school police, Hackenburg said, which has primary jurisdiction at the school. A borough officer wasn't dispatched to the school Tuesday night, he said.

Opposition to masks

In one video posted to social media, McClintock, Lichtel and at least one school district police officer exited the high school building prior to Tuesday's scheduled start time for the meeting. McClintock introduced herself and explained briefly that a threat had been received and that the meeting would move online.

"In the air of keeping everybody safe for the board, administration and students and staff that are currently on (site), we have received threats that there was going to be something," McClintock said.

People demanded an explanation as to the nature of the threat, many audibly doubting its validity. Some suggested holding the meeting outdoors.

When officials returned inside the school building lobby, a second video shows that members of the public casually held open a door and challenged McClintock and others to continue with an in-person meeting.

Billy Allred, vice-chair of the Union County Republicans, is filmed in the encounter after McClintock's announcement. He could be heard advocating that the public enter the school, but not by force, saying they couldn't be kept from attending a public meeting. Allred suggested people place their hands in their pockets and keep them there before walking, not forcing, their way into the building. He did just that, the video shows, and dozens followed behind.

"I appreciate all of you who came tonight. Obviously, our school board doesn't appreciate all of you who came," Allred told the crowd once people were seated in the building's auditorium. "We're going to record it and post it on social media. Hopefully, some of (the school board directors) will listen to it. You deserve to be heard."

Airing grievances

The public went on to hold an approximately 90-minute session of their own, complete with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

They aired their grievances with the masking order and government mandates. There were expressions of vaccine skepticism and allegations that masking is child abuse as it restricts breathing. There were condemnations that the elected officials failed to uphold their duties of representative government by moving the meeting without notice. And, there were questions as to why if the threat was legitimate the school building hadn't been cleared.

Sometime at about 8 p.m., the school board convened the online meeting from the district's administration building. The district's health and safety plan was on the agenda but there were no adjustments made to the universal masking order.

Several public comments submitted ahead of the meeting, all expressing support of universal masking, were summarized. Many who registered to speak at the meeting weren't heard when the session moved online as at least some were either at the impromptu town hall or unable to get into the live virtual session.

McClintock briefly reiterated that the meeting was moved online out of a public safety concern.

Live public comments were also expressed online during the meeting, with residents expressing opposition to the state's masking order and the district's compliance.