KENOSHA, Wis. — Bill Haithcock has dedicated his career to young people. He started as a special education teacher, and his latest job is one of growing importance.
"My wife knows when she sees something on the news, she asks me very carefully if I've seen it. It's heartbreaking," said Haithcock.
Haithcock is chief of school leadership for Kenosha Unified School District, a role to improve safety in local schools. The district has 40 with 19,000 students.
He just returned from training in Parkland, Florida, where a teen gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
"That was hard. We met parents that were there. We met educators that were there," said Haithcock.
The knowledge he brought home adds to a growing body of research the School Threat Assessment Coalition of Kenosha (STACK) is using to identify potential threats and intervene before another tragedy unfolds.
On Wednesday, coalition partners like Haith, as well as local law enforcement and educators, added to their training during a program at Kenosha County Center.
The National Threat Assessment Center (NATC) and Wisconsin Office of School Safety (OSS) offered targeted violence prevention training for the Kenosha community.
The NATC shared its findings and recommendations from research on mass attacks in which three or more people were killed. The research, according to the NATC, indicated targeted violence is preventable.
Part of the course focused on a 2018 mass shooting at a Tallahassee yoga studio, and how warning signs — including repeated misogynistic behavior towards women — were overlooked for months.
Locally, STACK leaders say they investigate all reports they receive, from concerns about a bullied student to suspicious tweets or text messages. The organization said it's the only coalition of its kind in the state.
State officials also promoted Speak Up Speak Out Wisconsin (SUSO), a free threat reporting system.
The state resource encourages anyone — from students, parents, school staff, or community members — to submit a school safety concern via the web, mobile application, or toll-free number (full info below).
"Somebody is in need of assistance. We need to get them that assistance. It's not telling on someone, it's getting them the interventions they need and deserve," said Trish Kilpin, the director of the Office of School Safety. "Kids and adults in the community sometimes don't report, because they might think, oh this isn't important."
Bill Haith, however, said everyone, bystanders he called them, has a role to speak.
"You have to take each of them serious. And there's a whole process [STACK] goes through and takes a look at each individual threat," said Haith.
Through the work of STACK, and others, he said, students can focus on being students.
"I want our students to come to school worried about learning. I want them to think about math and history and algebra," said Haith.
For info on reporting via SUSO:
Submit a tip HERE, or:
CALL: 1-800-MY-SUSO-1 or Text “SUSO” to 738477 to report a tip.
(Text messages will not be received via 1-800-MY-SUSO-1)
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