A Schuylkill Haven High School student has been charged with harassing four other students of the school online, according to borough police.
Darwin Goerner, 18, is charged with one count of cyber harassment of a child and and four counts of harassment, both misdemeanor offenses, police said in court documents.
Police gave this account:
Schuylkill Haven High School administrators called police on Feb. 19 to report a complaint about a video that had been sent by a student the previous day and contained disparaging comments about four other students.
The video was made by Goerner, who posted it on Instagram. In it, he named the four other students and made unsubstantiated claims about them. Three of the victims were adult aged, while the other was a minor.
The victims felt that they were being harassed by the video, and said that Goerner had previously harassed them online, police said.
Goerner is awaiting his preliminary hearing.
Schuylkill Haven Superintendent Shawn Fitzpatrick said while he could not comment on details of the specific incident because it involved students, he said that the district takes allegations of harassment very seriously.
High school administration responded appropriately by contacting law enforcement, he said.
“When concerns are brought to our attention, we work collaboratively with families and, when appropriate, law enforcement to ensure they are addressed in accordance with district policy and the law,” he said.
“Our focus remains on supporting our students and reinforcing clear expectations for responsible and respectful conduct, both in school and online.”