Florida teen arrested after recording threatening song following school suspension, sheriff says

PALM COAST, Fla. — A Florida high school student was arrested after recording a song about threatening to kill a school administrator after being suspended.

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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Joseph Washington, 18, wrote and recorded the song after he was suspended from Matanzas High School for dress code violations and using offensive language. The song was then posted online.

Investigators said that Washington told them he wrote and recorded the song knowing “the consequences of his actions could be that he was arrested and charged with a criminal offense.”

Washington also told investigators the song was just a fantasy and he never intended to carry out any of the threats.

He was then arrested and charged with felony making written threats to kill, investigators said.

“To anyone that still thinks saying ‘I was just kidding around or it’s a fantasy’ is going to get them out of being arrested when they threaten someone’s life – let this be a wake-up call,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy and we do not take threats like these lightly, especially when it comes to our schools .If you make threatening statements online, in writing and or even if veiled in songs, you will be arrested.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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