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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

 Seventeen school directors throughout Northeast Tennessee issued a joint statement on Tuesday urging the responsible reporting of potential threats to school safety, especially in the wake of “unsubstantiated” posts on social media.

“We encourage our students, staff, and families to speak up if they see or hear anything that could represent a potential safety threat,” the directors said. “However, we ask that they use the appropriate channels to report these issues.”

 Elizabethton City Schools Director Richard VanHuss and Carter County Schools Director Brandon Carpenter were among those who put their names to the statement.

 “Hoax threats can be highly disruptive to teaching and learning, while causing a great deal of stress and anxiety,” the statement read. “We are asking for the help of our students, staff, families, and community members by not sharing rumors or posts referencing unsubstantiated threats via social media. Doing so only causes more confusion and misinformation to spread, which can make it difficult for law enforcement officials to investigate situations in a timely manner.”

 The school officials detailed the following ways to responsibly report potential threats to school safety:

 — Contact a school administrator, teacher, or other school personnel.

 — Use school-system-specific reporting tools.

 — Use Tennessee’s statewide reporting app, SafeTN safety reporting app.

 — Contact local law enforcement via the non-emergency number, if it is not an emergency situation.

 — Call 911, if there is an emergency situation.

 “We all have a role to play in maintaining a safe, secure, and welcoming learning environment,” the directors said in the statement. “Please report — rather than repost — any school safety concerns.”