Lawmakers in one North Carolina county are now pushing a new idea to make parents financially responsible for the additional resources a school has to use after a threat of violence is made.
Commissioners in Harnett County now think that if your child were to make a bomb threat or school shooting threat, you, as the parent would have to foot the bill. Area leaders are estimating that ‘the bill’ could cost upwards of $30,000 – from the cost of gas in the police cars to the overtime paid to resource officers, teachers, and other school staff.
In Cumberland County, just south of Harnett, the sheriff’s office has also been talking about implementing a similar measure, saying that school threats are now up to ten times the norm, and directly charging parents could change that.
Mecklenburg County government leaders, however, are much more reluctant to the idea, saying they have to consider parents who are already under financial hardship and might now have the ability to foot the bill, putting further strain on the family and ultimately the child.
What are your thoughts on the new concept?
Do you think parents should be held financially liable for threats their children make?