PORT TOWNSEND — A felony charge against a teen accused of making death threats on a Facebook page was refiled two days after the case was dismissed.
A charge of harassment, threat to kill against the 14-year-old Port Townsend girl — who authorities said admitted leaving a threatening post on a Facebook page — was dismissed on April 17 without prejudice, which would allow the prosecutor to refile if new information became available.
It was refiled April 18, when Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Potebnya filed a charge of harassment, threat to kill — a Class C felony.
Also, a school disciplinary hearing in connection with the alleged threat was conducted Wednesday, said Port Townsend Superintendent David Engels, who would provide no details about it on Thursday.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not inform the Port Townsend Police Department, which is conducting the investigation, that the charge had been refiled, said Officer Luke Bogues, department spokesman.
Bogues said Thursday that the department was under the impression that the charge had not been refiled.
Peninsula Daily News is not identifying the girl, a ninth-grade student at Port Townsend High School, because she is a juvenile.
The charge stemmed from a posting on the “PTHS Confessions” Facebook page, which allowed students to post anonymous messages about themselves and others, city police said.
Bogues said the girl’s post was in reaction to another student she felt was being bullied in posts on the page.
It said, according to court records: “One more post about [name of another girl] and I will literally take a shotgun to school and turn into some kind of blood thirsty Hitler and shoot you square in the face!”
Deputy Prosecutor Tom Brotherton had moved for dismissal last week because no victim was named.
He said Thursday he did not have any details of the new investigation and said he did not know who, if anyone, had been victimized by the post.
Potebnya was not available for comment Thursday.
The Confessions page was taken off line shortly after the girl was arrested on April 16 and remained offline on Thursday.
Brotherton said that his office is considering filing charges against the webmaster, identified only as a Port Townsend juvenile.
“These confessions sites are popular with the students,” Brotherton said.
“It gives them the opportunity to get things off their chest without naming names,” he added.
“But in this case, she went too far.”
Engle said that a disciplinary hearing involving two students took place on Wednesday in connection with the Facebook posting.
He declined to supply any details or say whether the students were expelled or suspended.
“We are following the district’s disciplinary policy,” he said.
“We are taking steps to protect these kids.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
