Last fall, when the Moniteau School District was embroiled in the fallout from a hazing incident involving football players, residents turned out to oppose the punishment of forfeiting two games.

Residents’ attendance at meetings was not focused so much on the unconscionable incident — or how that incident might tarnish Moniteau’s image — but instead on the whole team being punished because of actions committed by several team members.

In response to the residents, the board rescinded the two-defeats decision, although the board commendably kept the football program’s four-year probation intact as well as the requirement that coaches and players attend two mandatory sessions of hazing education.

Fast-forward to Feb. 7. Unlike during last fall’s football games debate, no residents showed up for a Moniteau “Community Night” program featuring a lecture on cyberbullying, which is repeated hostile behavior using the Internet and social media technology.

The Feb. 7 session was more important than the two football games that initially were in danger of being forfeited. However, parents’ lack of attendance that day indicated otherwise.

Unfortunately, Feb. 7’s non-attendance was consistent with what goes on in virtually all school districts. Few people show up unless something near and dear to their hearts — or a higher tax bill — is at stake. In those instances, residents apply brakes to whatever they’re doing so they can express their aversion to what’s being proposed.

Some Moniteau parents someday might regret not having availed themselves of Feb. 7’s valuable information and insight regarding a problem that is growing more widespread and more serious across the country.

The Feb. 8 edition of the Butler Eagle reported some of the points on which the Feb. 7 session was to center — including that parents should spend as much time teaching their children about online rules of the road as they do about driving a car.

But that point was lost when no one showed up to hear it.

A special agent from the state attorney general’s office and a representative of Butler County’s Victim Outreach Intervention Center came to the district on Feb. 7 to help parents keep their children safe online.

Moniteau parents should be embarrassed that they ignored the valuable opportunity.