Tolland Officials, State Police Staying Ahead Of 'Hoax Threats'

TOLLAND, CT — State police and Tolland education officials Thursday said they will be staying one step ahead of Friday "hoax threats" being circulated on social media.

Tolland Superintendent of Schools Walter Willet said an increased presence was already being planned because of the holidays, but a little extra attention will be paid because of the hoax.

"I have become aware of postings on social media regarding an increased level of concern about December 17th and school safety on this day," Willet said in a letter sent home to parents. "In a conversation with the state police, I was informed that police intelligence in New Hampshire have been monitoring social media and picked up what was described as 'general' and 'nonspecific' threats about December 17th that were not associated with any specific state or region."

He continued, "As student and staff safety are our priority, and in partnership with our police, we will continue our increased police presence in the schools as was previously planned for this time prior to the school holiday. We remain mindful and vigilant. These actions are in an abundance of caution, and not related to any specific threat toward the Tolland Public Schools."

State police released the following statement Thursday:

The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and Connecticut State Police have been made aware of hoax posts circulating on social media that there will be school threats on Friday, December 17, 2021. The Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC) has been investigating and monitoring the social media trend. CTIC has not yet identified any specific or credible threats to any schools within the State of Connecticut.

These posts and rumors started on the social media platform TikTok and have been circulating for at least several days across the country, making their way onto additional social media platforms. Many law enforcement agencies around the country have received tips related to these rumors. It is possible that the threats originated from a TikTok challenge to skip school on Friday, December 17, 2021.

Any school threat that is made in Connecticut is immediately taken very seriously by law enforcement. If a threat is determined to be a hoax, there will be a thorough investigation and arrests will be made. This could also lead to further consequences within the school district.

The Department of Emergency Services and Public protection and CTIC are working closely with the State Department of Education on these rumored threats and providing timely information to all school districts as needed. Again, CTIC has not yet identified any specific or credible threats to any schools within the State of Connecticut.

As always, parents should monitor their children’s phones and social media to ensure positive and healthy behaviors. Parents are encouraged to utilize monitoring apps such as Bark - Parental Controls to ensure positive behaviors and to consume as much information they can about the apps their children are using. Download the apps that they use. Common Sense Media is a great resource to obtain information on the latest apps, games, and more.