William Poole, of Clark County Kentucky's George Rogers Clark High School, charged with allegedly making threats aainst students and teachers in a journal, was recently cleared in Clark District Court. Attorneys for both sides agreed with Judge Brandy O. Brown (District Judge) that it would be almost imposible to prosecute Poole for terroristic threatening> Poole had claimed the journal found by his grandmother was a work of fiction that had been assigned in school. It was he said a story about zombies taking over the school.
But there was no such assignment, the stiry had no zombies, and Poole had tried to convince students to join him in a paramilitary group. He also violated terms of probation, on an original misdemeanor charge, by going onto school property. As a result of this, he had been sentenced to a six month jail sentence, of which he ultimately served four months
Now he must live with his grandparents, take medication and undergo therapy, and is not allowed on the grounds of any school in the county or to associate with any students. He has been described as "an angry young man who doesn't like to follow rules. He doesn't like authority."
Maybe so. And, maybe it was all a big misunderstanding. Maybe young Mr. Poole got a little carried away in his proivate jurnals, and his inner fantasies took over and evolved into the form of a violent rant. On camera, he seems like an affable enough fellow. Maybe he was just giving vent to his teenage anxieties and frustrations, and there was no real danger of it going really beyond that. If so, it's a shame that he had to be put through this, and still must be monitored in what would in this case certainly seem to be a harsh manner.
On the other hand, with all the incidents of school violence, especially Columbine, and other incidents, one of which happenned in a Kentucky school some years back which resulted in a shooting and multiple casualties, one can hardly blame a concerned grandparent and the school and local authorities for taking what they considered proper corrective measures. This could have been nothing at all. On the other hand, a great tragedy may have been averted, and hopefully, if he needs it, the young man will get help, and his life will progress in a positve manner from here on out, as oppossed to being irrevocably destroyed one way or another.
