School administrators should investigate whenever there's the slightest bit of harm? That would be an awful allocation of resources, only made wise because of fear of lawsuit. It would also be a theatrical exercise in neuroticism.
Sounds like schools should appropriate part of their budget for threat consultation.
I think you're not appreciating that most people don't know anything about electronics. So a bunch of wires and LEDs does in fact look very scary from their perspective, and you know.. better be safe than sorry.
Would it have been better if the school staff were all familiar with electronics projects? Sure.. but that's not the reality we live in
Well, then, why not consult a subject matter expert? They didn't ask his teacher or any of his potentially qualified colleagues; the police didn't consult anyone on their staff who might have been as knowledgeable. They didn't even try their bomb squad. There's no suggestion that even a semblance of a credible investigation took place.
Why should school policy be driven by how scared somebody gets, as opposed to statistics? If I look more into how scared people get by LEDs and wires, will I understand how staff attention and resources should be allocated to investigating any potential threat, no matter how small?
It doesn't take a subject matter expert to realize that electronics not attached to an explosive of some kind are just electronics, if all you see is a clock, then its just a clock.
If you think that is an "awful allocation of resources" I have to ask if you have ever attended a public school in America. My old highschool had an on-staff copy lady who would take 3hr lunch breaks. Her job was 100% useless because every room had a printer. All they needed was ink and paper.
Sounds like schools should appropriate part of their budget for threat consultation.