Decorah, IA: Parent Arrested // Accused of Threatening Teachers over 4th Grade Sex Ed Curriculum

I learned early this week that the public schools in Decorah, IA, were locked down on Monday the 11th, but I didn't initially learn any other details about why. Until tonight. It seems that the Decorah Community School District teaches sex education to its students. And one student's dad wasn't happy about that. So he sent a threatening email to child's teacher:

A man by the name of Deano Divers reached out to KWWL saying he sent the email to a teacher. He says he did not mean to threaten the school but he is upset with the curriculum his 4th grader is learning, specifically about sex-ed.

He sent KWWL a copy of the email he sent a teacher which says in part, "Decorah schools spiritually declared war against my house today. When I retaliate Monday morning..."

That was the language the school found threatening which prompted the school district to go on lock down.

Divers also reportedly threatened two teachers on Facebook.

All schools in Decorah were on lockdown due to his threats. About 1,700 students chose to stay home on that day.

Divers was eventually arrested on Monday and faces two counts of 2nd Degree Harassment and one count of 3rd Degree Harassment.

Superintendent Mike Haluska has this to say about the the district's 4th grade sex ed programming:

Superintendent Mike Haluska says the 4th grade curriculum focuses on human growth and puberty.

He says, "Interestingly enough, we have paper work available at the beginning of the school year for anyone who wishes to have their children exempted from any conversations that have to do with that type of subject matter."

Interestingly, Divers' alleged threat was credible enough to lockdown the entire school district, but not serious enough to prevent the superintendent from scheduling an appointment with him late Monday afternoon or to prevent the police from arresting him earlier.