TCS: Student Prank Prompted Lockdowns At Eastwood, Bryant High

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa City Schools on Wednesday provided an update following lockdowns at Eastwood Middle School and Paul W. Bryant High School on Tuesday.

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TCS said the lockdowns were initially prompted due to an anonymous, threatening phone call to Eastwood Middle School.

The city school system said the individual responsible, later determined to be a student attempting a prank, has been identified and apprehended.

"Threatening calls or threats on social media against any school are no laughing matter, and we take these threats seriously," TCS Superintendent Mike Daria said on Wednesday. "Student and staff safety is our top priority, and together with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, we were able to quickly secure the school premises and ensure that it was safe."

In its latest update, TCS said that because the caller was a student, disciplinary action taken will remain confidential under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

What's more, the school system said students at Eastwood Middle School on Wednesday participated in a safety check as the school day began.

As part of the efforts on Wednesday, TCS says all grade levels were debriefed on what happened to cause the lockdown, in addition to measures that the students can take to help keep the school safe.

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