The Delaware Academy Central School District in Delhi was placed on lockdown briefly this afternoon after a threat was left on an online message board.
According to a statement from Delhi village police chief Michael Mills, school officials discovered the online message Friday afternoon, initiated lockdown procedures, and contacted Delhi police. The statement did not reveal what the message said, or where on the Internet it was found.
Delhi village police responded to the school around 1:50pm and searched the campus, aided by New York State, Delaware County and SUNY Delhi University Police. The campus was declared to be safe, and students were dismissed at 3pm.
Mills said the incident is still under investigation, and asks anyone with information to contact village police at 607-746-2249.
In March, two young students at Delaware Academy were charged with making a terroristic threat after a vaguely threatening message was found scrawled in a textbook.
Update, 5/18//2013: Because of the incident, Delaware Academy has postponed its prom -- originally scheduled for Saturday, May 18 -- to June 1, the Daily Star reports.
In an apparently unrelated incident, Walton schools were also on lockdown on Friday, after several threatening messages were discovered on Facebook. The Daily Star reports:
The other incident occurred at Walton, where Townsend Elementary School, which normally follows lockout procedures, had already taken extra security measures, including a police presence. This was based on an unsubstantiated Facebook threats to a parent and child, according to a school media release.
At about 1 p.m., Walton police spoke to the district about additional Facebook postings that referenced the Townsend Elementary School and used the word “shooting."
The latest incident isn't the first time this year that the Walton Central School District has grappled with threats to students. In January, a Walton woman, 27-year-old Jennifer L. Morris, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection with a series of disturbing violent and pornographic messages targeting Walton schoolchildren on Facebook. Morris was later arrested on several other charges, including stalking and harrassment.
Walton schools will be open as usual on Monday with increased police presence, WBNG reports.
Franklin Central School was also on lockdown briefly on Friday, after a parent notified the school of lockdowns at Delhi and Walton.
