Goesling looks for harsher response to school threats

Rep. Bill Goesling, R-Moscow, plans to introduce a bill that would allow law enforcement to arrest an individual for a school threat as opposed to simply citing and releasing the person as is currently permitted under state law.

Goesling said the proposed legislation was inspired by last spring’s online threat by Moscow resident Michael Mastro Jr. “to shoot up” two Moscow schools. Community members, parents and students were concerned and frustrated that Mastro was not taken into custody following his threat.

Under a revised state law that took effect March 23, police were only able to cite and release Mastro for threatening violence upon school grounds, a misdemeanor. Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry said had the threats come just six days earlier, the response would have been even less, as police would not have been able to cite Mastro because he was not on school property when the threats were made.

Moscow School District Superintendent Greg Bailey said he and the Moscow School Board asked Goesling to carry the bill as a result of Mastro’s threat and the resulting fallout.

Bailey said students, staff, parents and the Moscow community were stressed by the threat since Mastro was not in custody. Several students opted to stay home from school, Bailey said. Some called for armed guards inside the schools, and a handful of people wanted to bring their own guns on Moscow school campuses to monitor the public institutions.

“It’s still not hitting people that there’s no humor in this and it does impact not only our students, but also the families of our students, as well as our whole community,” Bailey said. “This put a lot of fear in quite a few people within our community.”

Goesling said the Idaho Education Association, Idaho School Boards Association, Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association and others support the proposed legislation. He expects the bill to be heard this legislative session and believes legislators will back it.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.