Letter to Parents in the RE-3 School District Addresses Dangerous Online Trend

A dangerous trend that has been circulating on many social media platforms lately is being addressed by school boards across the country, including the Morgan County RE-3 School District.

A recent letter was sent out to parents & guardians in the district to make everyone aware of students damaging their school-issued Chromebooks. Videos on social media show students of all ages trying to set their Chromebooks on fire by placing small metal objects like paper clips into computer inputs, causing a short, which in many cases causes the laptops to smoke and/or catch fire. What students don’t seem to realize is how dangerous this is. Even if the computer does not catch fire, its smoke billowing is toxic. If it does, the fire can spread quickly.

The Director of Technology for Morgan County RE-3, Galen Thompson, is the one who sent out the letter of caution. Within the body of the letter, he states: Beyond the obvious property damage, this behavior poses a serious safety risk to students, staff, and our facilities. We want to be clear: attempting to set fire to any device, especially one powered by a lithium battery, can lead to explosions, severe burns, or even building fires. He continued: Students engaging in this behavior will face serious disciplinary consequences in line with our student code of conduct, will be responsible for the full cost to replace the Chromebook (and any other damage), and could also face legal repercussions.

No incidents have been reported in the district so far. Still, parents should talk to their children about this issue, and kids are encouraged to contact a trusted adult at their school if they become aware of these types of incidents occurring.