Social media lit up locally this past weekend over the way a possible threat at Old Town High School was handled, leading to a statement being issued stating the threat wasn’t credible and that there was no danger at the school.
According to the statement, which came Sunday afternoon from OTHS principal Scott Gordon, the Old Town Police Department received information on Thursday night (Jan. 10) that a student at the high school made a very general warning statement to another student that was interpreted by that second student as a threat.
After that threat was reported to police, administration at OTHS was informed, and police visited several homes that night, including that of the student who made the warning statement. That student is facing disciplinary action for the disruption he caused and will be not returning to Old Town High School at this time, said Gordon.
Gordon added that Old Town police continued to investigate the incident over the weekend, and any and all leads had been turned over to them, RSU 34 Superintendent David Walker and high school administration were keep abreast of all information. Nothing was uncovered that indicated the public should be alarmed, nor was there any information that gave any reason to believe the high school was not safe for normal operations.
But while that information gathering was ongoing, some people were on social media taking school and police to task over how the matter was being handled, and some students and the parents of others were saying they would not be attending classes Monday.
“Over the weekend, social media has been filled with a level of misinformation, which has caused a great deal of unwarranted gear and stress for both parents and students,” wrote Gordon. “Superintendent Walker, Police Chief Scott Wilcox, School Resource Officer Willy King and I met on Sunday morning to review once again what we had for information. We all agree that there is currently no threat to students at Old Town High School. We will continue to be vigilant about monitoring the situation, following tips and leads in an effort to keep our students safe.
“School safety is now and will always be first and foremost in our minds. We care about our students and we would not consider doing anything to put their safety in jeopardy.”
In conclusion Gordon asked the public to read social media information with a common-sense approach and implore people to be critical of sources that may not have access to the best level of information.
“If you come across any information on social media which needs attention from the Old Town Police Department, please get a screenshot and forward the information to them for a follow-up investigation,” said Gordon
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