A mess is brewing in Louisiana. On Tuesday, Farmerville High School was sent into lock-down after rumors of a “big war” between two groups of students reached school officials. Making the matter even more complicated is the fact that one of the rival groups (allegedly) claim to be a Wiccan coven.

“Two departments took protective measures at Farmerville High School on Tuesday after hearing rumors of a “big war” and that some students had formed a Wiccan coven, officials said … “Farmerville police received information over the weekend that threats of violence had allegedly been made against a group of students at Farmerville High School.” Those threats were to be carried out Tuesday, according to a news release from the sheriff and chief. Detectives from both agencies determined a student had allegedly said a “big war” would occur. They also learned that a group of students had allegedly formed what they referred to as a “Wicca” and had carried out “certain ritualistic ceremonies that included self-mutilation of their arms and legs,” the release stated.”

Who threatened who? Good question! According to School Superintendent Steven Dozier, it was the Wiccans who threated a rival group of teens at the school.

“A student said “war will begin Tuesday.” School Superintendent Steven Dozier says the students involved with the threat practice Wicca, a form of witchcraft. This alone had school leaders and police concerned.”

But a subsequent news story doesn’t make that claim, and a story filed the day after the lock-down noted that the “big war” rumors have been floating around for nearly eight months.

“But these rumors began much earlier than a few days ago. The sheriff’s office says that these rumors go back to as far as eight months ago. And they say some parents and students knew about the threats of violence…but never came forward … Rumors at the high school began spreading like wildfire. Authorities say one child told a parent that their name was on a list to be killed. Tuesday was the day the ‘big war’ was supposed to happen…but it never did.”

During the lock-down, no weapons (connected to the alleged threats) were found. After a series of interviews, two students were hospitalized pending a mental evaluation after expressing thoughts of suicide (though an earlier report claims they were involved in the Wiccan group). So far, no physical evidence of any sort has surfaced pointing towards a “big war” or any other sort of violence.

Since we are dealing with (escalating) rumors, it is hard to tell what was really going down, and who instigated what. School officials, rather than trying to engage the (alleged) ringleaders of this ongoing conflict, instead went into a post-Columbine panic and terrified the entire school. Painting the “Wiccans” as scapegoats in the process.

“…we were not going to take any chances of anybody getting hurt whether it being a true or false rumor. We simply hit the campus and hit it hard.”

Are schools now going to be “hit hard” by police whenever a rumor about a groups of outsiders surface? What are the chances that this groups of kids will receive fair treatment at the school now that the Superintendent has publicly incriminated them? There is a good chance that any “big war” that arises from this will come in the form of lawsuits if the school isn’t very careful about what it does next.

Tags: Farmerville High School, Louisiana, Satanic Panic, school shootings, Wicca