At least five students in the state have been expelled for comments made in the neo-Nazi group, called the “4th Reich’s Official Group Chat,” which had about 15 members. Members of the group attended Boulder Prep High School, Boulder High School, Monarch High School and Colorado Mountain College.
The police became aware of the group after the leader, a student at Boulder Prep who referred to himself as “The Fuhrer,” committed suicide September 21. As he was a minor, his identity has not been released to the media.
The police report describes messages in the group urging the students to "recruit new members to our cause" so group members can "complete their mission." Members were internally ranked based on how many people they recruited for the cause of “building an army for war,” local station 9 News reported.
While the Boulder Police did not find any credible or specific threats, they will place extra law enforcement officers on duty at the schools as a precaution, 9 News said.
"Boulder Police Department initiated an investigation of comments on a social media site that involved some BVSD high school students. Boulder Police did not initiate any criminal charges at the conclusion of the investigation,” the Boulder Valley School District said in a statement. “Boulder Valley School District administered appropriate responsive action with the students involved. Any information involving interaction with these students regarding this matter is confidential under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).”
The school district has “a long history of teaching and modeling social justice, school safety, and equity for all students.” and “remains committed to this important work," the statement concluded.
