Teenager arrested for making threat tied to the 'To Kill a Mockingbird' play at Shorewood High School

Alec Johnson | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Editor's Note: The original version of this story said the teenager arrested was a Shorewood High School student. The boy is from Shorewood, but it is not known where he goes to school. We have updated the story to reflect that.

A 17-year-old Shorewood boy has been arrested for making threats on social media relating to the controversial "To Kill a Mockingbird" play, the Shorewood Police Department said Wednesday.

The announcement came after the school district canceled the play.

A dress rehearsal of "To Kill a Mockingbird" had also been planned for family of the cast and crew members in place of a public performance, but that also was canceled.

According to a statement from Shorewood Schools Superintendent Bryan Davis, the consensus from student cast and crew members was that if they moved forward with the dress rehearsal, they would lose the original message they wanted to convey by performing the play and would be performing it for the wrong reasons.

Details about ticket reimbursement will be forthcoming, Davis said in the statement.

"We want to thank the cast, crew and staff of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' for their hard work on this play," Davis said. "And we would like to thank all of our students for their willingness to listen to each other with grace and patience, and their desire to seek a path moving forward. The district is committed to learning from the experience, beginning the healing, and further engaging with the community."

This latest decision comes after the show was initially canceled, then put back on, and then canceled again.

An email from Davis said there would be no public performance of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which was scheduled to be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, "due to mental and emotional health of our entire student body related to the production."

That decision, announced in a message to parents just after midnight Wednesday, came hours after an emotionally charged community conversation on race that was held Tuesday in response to criticism over the initial decision to cancel the show last week.

Racially charged threat

Patience Phillips, mother of Asana Blue, a member of Youth Rising Up, said in an interview that during the event her daughter received an Instagram threat that said, "F--- those watermelon-eating (n-words), we're going to hang them at 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Signed the KKK."

"There are some things children shouldn't have to endure," Phillips said.

Shorewood police were notified of a threat at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The male was taken to the Milwaukee County Jail at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The incident is under investigation and potential charges are being reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the threat Blue received is the threat tied to the arrest.

Wednesday evening, the leader of the Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee said it didn't matter that the threat came from a 17-year-old, especially in light of mass shootings committed by high school students across the country.

At a news conference outside the school, "King Rick" called for the student to be punished and vowed that his group would protect black children against racists and white supremacists who threaten violence against them.

"We are here to let them know that that's intolerable. It won't happen while we're on watch here," he said.

Phillips said there needed to be "serious changes" at Shorewood. She called for the removal of the school board president, Paru Shah, Davis and drama director Joe King and the need for programs to address racism at every grade level.

"I want to use this moment while (the students) have momentum and all eyes are on them," Phillips said.

Phillips said she is not insensitive to concerns about censorship.

"But we've been censored for a long time," Phillips said. "We were murdered for reading. Now, when we're able to speak, people need to listen. There's a difference between censorship and human decency."

RELATED: Tension runs high in Shorewood's conversation about race sparked by 'To Kill a Mockingbird' controversy

RELATED: Shorewood reverses course: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' goes on with dialogue on race

RELATED: Shorewood High cancels 'To Kill a Mockingbird'; critics planned protest over use of racial slur

District says it made a 'misstep'

At a news conference Wednesday, Davis outlined steps the district is taking "to make improvements to ensure something like this does not happen again in Shorewood."

"Our most important misstep was not beginning our community conversations with our district community about the production much sooner," Davis said. "I acknowledge and take responsibility for that misstep."

Davis then outlined the short- and long-term steps the district will take.

Some short-term steps include establishing a new student equity taskforce, which involves a monthly dialogue on racial justice, getting more student input on drama productions, district policies and procedures and classroom curriculum. Other short-term steps include enhancing restorative justice practices and the district sharing its professional development conversations with the community.

Davis said the district will focus on three key priorities as long-term steps: family engagement, conversations around racial equity in the community with the Village of Shorewood Human Relations Commission and developing additional partnerships and connecting with experts on racial justice issues.

Davis said there was "a wide variety" of student reactions to the latest announcement on the cancellation. He said teachers, counselors and staff members were on hand to support students Wednesday, and praised them for how they handled themselves during difficult conversations.

"We've aIways felt like we've had great students, but I think sometimes (in) difficult times, leadership rises, and we've been able to see that from our students," Davis said. "I'm very proud of the way they were really able to process through very difficult conversations and still stay peers and still state their opinions, but do that in a civil way and in a productive way. I think I'm most proud of that.

Rep. David Bowen, who represents Assembly District 10 covering Milwaukee and Shorewood and was in attendance at the news conference, said he appreciated that Davis "is moving forward more committed than ever."

"That's the most proof that things will be moving in a different direction, that the students in this district are his main priority," Bowen said. "Well-being has been prioritized first and foremost rather than (being) focused on the wrong reactions and things of that nature. If the district is truly committed to racial equity, he sounds like he's fully supportive and committed to making sure they get there and that they get there quickly."

Annysa Johnson, Christopher Kuhagen and Jesse Garza contributed to this report.