Wiccans being used as a scapegoat in highschool lockdown.

[icymist]

I was surfing for some wiccan news and found an interesting article on The Wild Hunt blog:

"Rumored "Big War" Causes School Lock-Down

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."

Ah! Louisiana again. Clicking on one of the links provided is a transcript of a story which describes a lockdown incident at the highschool on the local news:

Farmerville High School on Lock Down

(February - 26 - 2008)


FARMERVILLE (TV8) - Students at Farmerville High School had a tense morning as the school was placed in lock down.

Union Sheriff's Deputies, Farmerville Police and school leaders searched every locker, nook and cranny, because a threat was made at the school yesterday.

TV8's Jennifer Townley joins us now with more on the threat and how students and school leaders reacted to them. Jen?

John, Judy, two 9th grade students were arrested at school yesterday because they were connected to a comment made.

A student said "war will begin Tuesday."

School Superintendent Steven Dozier says the students involved with the threat practice Wicca, a form of witchcraft.

The local newspaper goes into further detail, clearly using the wiccan religion as a scapegoat for the alleged threat of violence:

Rumors of 'big war' spur police response
By Stacy Temple

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.
Union Parish Sheriff Bob Buckley and Farmerville Chief Ernest "Bim" Culbertson said the sheriff's office and Farmerville police conducted a joint investigation Tuesday at the high school.

The comments section of this very article is revealing of how the words 'wiccan' and 'wicca' are being used by the school and the press in a way, that I believe, will create fear towards this religious group. Countrykid (below) may believe that children seeking other religions as "thinking they know more than we do" (about Christianity), but does set the record straight, being adamant that the 'wicca thing' had 'died down' until it was brought up again with these threats or the imagined (wiccan) relation of the children making them. Note that two of the children were taken to mental institutions. The hundred dollar question is who brought wicca into this? The kids? Probably not since the comment mentions that even 'the wiccan kids are scared'. Maybe the "School Superintendent Steven Dozier says the students involved with the threat practice Wicca" even though the person making the threat wasn't even involved with the wiccan group? Scroll down on this article and read:
<snip>
Posted by: countrykid on Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:11 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can not believe how misconstrued this whole story has become. I will state the facts, because I do know them firsthand, as my CHILD was directly involved in these incidents.

1. These "Wiccan" children are harmless. They have met and talked about these beliefs a few times, but these discussions have not occured since around October.

2. The person who made the threats WAS NOT part of the "group" of "Wiccan" children.

That's right, the person who made the threats wasn't even part of the 'group' in question. The reaction here was a hard crackdown, with the police acting very quickly as a threat of violence warrants. Not warranted is the sensationalist use of wicca, by the school and the press, creating fear towards an identifiable group of people, a religion! What the hell is going on in Louisiana? What's that old saying I keep hearing about fascists coming after groups of People? "First they came for the gays, but I wasn't gay so I did nothing. Then they came for the wiccans..... HEY! Wait a minute! I'm a wiccan!

[icymist]

1. Hearing set for student involved in 'war' threat (an update)

The Farmerville High School ninth-grade student at the center of a recent threat at the school will face a "superintendent's hearing" to determine whether he will be allowed to return to the school.

The student, his parents, the principal and the superintendent's designee will meet next Wednesday and determine the student's future.

<snip>
They 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," a release from Union Parish Sheriff's Department stated.

"I understand that this little Wicca has been around for years," Dozier said. "I don't think the whole group was tightly wrapped up in it. One person has brought it to the forefront with comments."

Read the full article

Note that using the phrase 'a wicca' and 'this little wicca' denotes a kind of ignorance towards (wicca).