On Feb. 3, Centennial High School senior Ryan Eichenauer found a typed, anonymous letter threatening his life. According to 5 Eyewitness News, the note was left on his desk in his second hour English class, six weeks after he publicly announced his homosexuality via social media.

The letter contained extensive profanity and multiple death threats, but the main point was “Enjoy your days while you still can. In my eyes they are numbered. I can’t wait for the day I get to walk over your grave. And if you don’t put yourself there, I will be glad to,” according to KMSP.

The lengthy letter contained several more instances of extremely threatening and disturbing language.

Immediately, hundreds of people raced to support Eichenauer, including many strangers through social media. However, Eichenauer is still receiving messages of hatred.
“I know there are going to be a lot of people in life who don’t agree with it. But that’s who I am,” Eichenauer said to KMSP.

Centennial high school has not been the only school in the area where threats have occurred.

Bella Schaefer, a senior at Dassel-Cokato High School, also said that she has received notes with threatening language.

With the recent threats occurring in surrounding schools, the question might be raised as to why extreme instances of bullying such as threats do not occur at Orono, or if there is a likelihood that one might occur.

Police liaison officer Tony White said “Anything can happen anywhere, it just hasn’t occurred here. The main goal is if a student [were to] receive a message like that, is to contact us.”

If a threat from a student were posed to another, the consequences would include expulsion in addition to legal charges.

“It all boils down to the culture of the building. So, at a macrolevel it’s just the school culture and whether those kinds of cultural dynamics exist in your building,” principal David Benson said.

“Having worked in other schools, [Orono’s] culture is just awesome. Some days are better than others, but overall, it’s a good place to be,” Benson said.
However, a welcoming culture doesn’t just happen on its own; everyone has to participate in going out of of their way to create a friendly environment.
“Just be nice to people. Trust people… I mean you’ve got to respect everyone because you’re trying to help everyone… You just want that culture of helpfulness and support for everyone no matter who they are, no matter what their situation is, no matter what their beliefs are… And help people feel valued as best you can,” Benson said.

To create a healthy culture for all students, “Be really observant and sensitive to groups that you sense are not a part of things,” Benson said. “Any time you have a group of students who are disenfranchised and not connected, that’s what you’ve got to pay attention to and get them going in a positive way.”