by Rachel Hunter
St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe reported on Thursday, March 30 that swatting hoaxes had hit area schools – including Gouverneur Central School District. The threats of violence were unfounded.
Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly reported that the threat was only made toward a “high school.” So the Gouverneur High School was placed in a hold-in-place. The other buildings had a police presence, but were not placed in a hold-in-place. “Thanks to quick action by our administrative team, our SRO, and our local law enforcement officials, who were immediately on the scene, the building was secured so faculty, staff, and students were safe,” she said. “The threat was deemed non-credible and the building was cleared by law enforcement.” The students were later returned back to normal activities and the Gouverneur Central School District continued to have a police presence in and around the school buildings throughout the day.
Supt. Kelly sent a letter to district families on March 30, which said the following: “Dear Gouverneur Families, this morning, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, Potsdam and Canton, have received unfounded threats of violence.
“According to law enforcement, these identical messages did not target any specific building or person(s). This act is a crime, known as swatting, and is a harassment technique that involves calling in an emergency police response against an innocent target. There have been several more of these "swatting” calls made throughout the region. At this time, the Gouverneur Central School District has been cleared by law enforcement and the threat was deemed non-credible. Students and staff are safe and back to normal activities.
“As always, the safety of our staff and students is our highest priority. As a precaution, families throughout the region may notice an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. We strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff and families that if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings please inform us. This is an important way that can help keep our communities safe. Thank you.”
Supt. Kelly also addressed the topic at the GCSD Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, April 3, which was held in the Gouverneur Middle School cafeteria.
“I’d like to take a moment tonight to thank our local law enforcement agencies for their response to the swatting call that was received last week,” she said. “As you likely know, on Thursday, March 30, several area school districts, including Gouverneur, received unfounded threats of violence. This was an example of swatting.
Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic used to deceive an emergency service, such as a 911 dispatcher, into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person’s address. In this case, the police were sent to the Gouverneur High School. Both the Gouverneur Police Department and the New York State Troopers were on the scene immediately. I’d like to thank them for their quick response and continued support. I’m thankful to have such great support and know that the safety of our students and staff is not only our top priority, but it is also the top priority of local law enforcement agencies. Thank you for all that you do to keep our students and staff safe.”
Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education President David Fenlong said, “Thank you very much. I couldn’t have said it any better myself. Nice job, appreciate you recognizing them. It’s a great opportunity here at the board meeting to recognize those people for all that they do for us.”
The very next morning, Tuesday, April 4, the Gouverneur Central School District went on a two-hour delay in response to an email bomb threat, a hoax that was directed at several area schools in addition to schools across New York State. The Gouverneur Central School District was later cleared by law enforcement. The New York State Troopers, along with a K-9, and the Gouverneur Police went through each district building. The buildings were all cleared and the threat was deemed non-credible, and students and staff were safe to come to school on the two-hour delay schedule.
The following message by Supt. Kelly was distributed to District families: “In response to the email threat that we received this morning, April 4th, the District worked with the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department to complete a thorough sweep of our buildings, including the use of trained police dogs, to ensure that they are safe for our staff and students. At this time, police have deemed the threat is not credible and we have been cleared to resume all normal operations. Incidents of this nature are unsettling for staff, students, families, and the community at large. While these hoax messages are often not credible, I would like to assure you that the health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. As a result, you may notice an increased police presence at our schools. As a district, we strive to work collaboratively with our communities to keep everyone safe. I would like to remind our students, staff, and families to inform us if you see anything out of the ordinary in or around our school buildings. I would also like to express sincere appreciation to the New York State Troopers and the Gouverneur Police Department for their prompt response and commitment to helping us keep our school community safe. Please contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.”
As a precaution, families throughout the region noticed an increased police presence at schools following these unfounded threats. The unfounded threats of violence caused school delays or closures at area schools. Also affected were BOCES, Hermon-DeKalb, St. Lawrence County Head Start Program, Edwards-Knox, and Morristown. There were reports of similar threats at schools across New York State on Tuesday morning, and is considered to be another example of swatting.
NY-21 Congresswoman Elise Stefanik released the following statement following “swatting” calls reporting fake active shooter and bomb threat claims to schools in Upstate New York and the North Country. “The soulless criminals who committed these shameful and cowardly illegal acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I thank our local and state law enforcement who are working to investigate these threats, so perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.”
The next meeting of the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.gcsk12.org.