A Chilling Wave Hits Schools

That word never fails to dredge up thoughts of misery and terror since the student massacre left 15 dead just over one year ago. And there's nothing quite like fear to open up the path for new rules and regulations, new policies and plans.

That might explain why North Carolina has quietly launched a program that allows students to call in anonymously or fill out a Web-based form to report on classmates who might appear depressed or angry -- or who just scare them.

The WAVE program -- Working Against Violence Everywhere -- is being offered to all middle and high schools in North Carolina. The website, Waveamerica.com, and the hotline are operated by Pinkerton Services Group, a subsidiary of Pinkerton Securities.

Here's how it works. A classmate brags about bringing a gun to school. He says he's going to do something serious. Everyone laughs and blows him off. But one student is worried. So she logs onto the site and fills out a form describing what she just heard. Or she picks up the phone and calls the hotline, and tells an operator as much as she can remember.

Because this situation would be considered immediately dangerous, a Pinkerton employee would immediately call the school's contact person, no matter what time it is, and relay the message. The rest is in the school's hands.

The program has the wholehearted support of North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt. Of North Carloina's roughly 800 middle and high schools, about 50 are participating in WAVE, but it's unclear how many students have used the program since it began Feb. 10, Pinkerton officials said.

"This program will go a long way toward reinforcing ethical responsibility, teaching the early warning signs of threatening behavior, and opening channels of communication that foster positive action," Hunt said in a statement, "and it is the right thing to do."

But civil liberties and privacy advocates say that in the interest of the elusive goal of protection, civil rights -- especially those of kids -- have been pushed aside.

Marty Greer, legal committee chair of the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina, called the program "horrifying."

She said WAVE is a knee-jerk reaction that does little to address the source of violence.