Oklahoma schools close after parents make violent threats against 12-year-old transgender girl

Updated

A school district in southern Oklahoma was forced to shut down for two days after parents used a Facebook group to make violent threats against a transgender seventh-grade student.

Achille Public Schools were forced to cancel two days of classes over comments made in a Facebook group by adults regarding a 12-year-old transgender girl's use of the girls' bathroom at her school, Bryan County Sheriff Johnny Christian said on Tuesday.

"Heads up parents of 5th through 7th grade," parent Jamie Crenshaw wrote in a now-deleted post, according to TIME. "The transgender is already using the girls bathroom. We have been told how the school has gone above and beyond to make sure he has his own restroom yet he is still using the girls. REALLY… Looks like its going to be a long year."

Other parents commented on the thread using disparaging comments to describe the student, with some even inciting violence against the 7th grader.

"If he wants to be a female, make him a female," one person commented. "A good sharp knife will do the job really quick."

Achille Superintendent Rick Beene said the Facebook page where the threatening comments were posted, titled "Achille ISD Parent Group," is not an official page tied to the district and that some who partook in the hateful conversation do not even have kids who attend the school.

"Our kids, our parents, most of our community is very, very good people... very open to all ethnicities, all populations and, really, we’ve got a group of kids that love each other," he told KFOR. "We know of no bullying as far as this one situation is concerned."

Achille Public Schools reopened on Wednesday following an investigation by the Bryan County Sheriff's Office.

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