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School beefs up security on last day of classes; officials say threat was not credible
After a threatening message written on the inside of a girls’ bathroom stall at Long Beach High School was reported to school administrators by a student last week, the district notified the Nassau County Police Department, which ultimately determined that there was no danger.
“[Police] have investigated the report and have concluded that the message is not a credible threat,” Andrew Smith, the high school’s vice principal, said in a statement on June 8. “The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our top priority. Out of abundance of caution, there will be extra security present and bags will be searched on Friday. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Schools Superintendent David Weiss said he could not reveal the exact content of the message, but said it referenced the last day of classes, which was last Friday. Parents were informed of the threatening message — which Weiss said is different than an actual threat — and book bag checks were conducted as students entered the building.
He added that although graffiti in school bathrooms is common, the message was threatening enough to report to the NCPD.
“This is something that happens in schools all the time; it happens in bathrooms around the world,” Weiss said. “I think 20 years ago, this is the kind of thing that you paint over, but I think that now, we do a police evaluation.”
