Second Student Arrested For Threat At Wallingford School: UPDATE

WALLINGFORD, CT — A second Sheehan High School student has been arrested in connection to a recent incident, police announced on Monday evening. A 16-year-old male student was charged with breach of peace for yelling into a classroom on Feb. 23. Police said the student was issued a juvenile summons to appear in New Haven Superior Court and has also been suspended from school.

Police announced earlier on Monday that a 15-year-old female student had been arrested and suspended from school for writing a threatening message on a classroom whiteboard last week. On Feb. 21, a parent reported to police that a threatening message was written on a whiteboard in a classroom at Sheehan and an investigation was immediately launched, according to Lt. Michael Colavolpe.

Colavolpe said the message was written in a classroom that was used by media students after school on Feb. 20 and was seen by several students but no one reported it. The message was erased the following morning before school started.

The 15-year-old female student confessed to writing the message and said it was written out of frustration, according to Colavolpe. The student told police that she was writing her personal feelings out and it wasn’t directed at anyone specific.

The student was arrested on Feb. 23 and issued a juvenile summons to appear in New Haven Superior Court. She has also been suspended from school, according to Colavolpe.

The 16-year-old male student was arrested in connection to a second incident that occurred at Sheehan on Feb. 23. In that incident, a student was walking by a classroom and yelled an “alarming statement” inside, which disrupted the class and caused students to secure the classroom door, according to Colavolpe.

“The Wallingford Police Department continues to work in collaboration with the Board of Education to ensure a safe environment for all our students and will investigate any incidents which cause a disruption to the learning environment,” Colavolpe said. “The police department wishes to remind parents to talk with their children and reiterate that something they may see as a joke or prank may be interpreted differently by someone else, which can result in a suspension, expulsion, and/or arrest.”

In an email to parents, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Salvatore Menzo said that while no educator “enters the profession with the goal of disciplining students, we must always balance this need with our ultimate goal to help all students learn from such circumstances.

“As we continue to reflect on what happened in Parkland, Florida, I want to ask that all families please share with your children the severity of making comments or posting anything that may appear to be a threat and result in a significant disruption to the school environment,” Menzo wrote in the email. “As is our practice, each situation is not only investigated by the school district, but also investigated by the Wallingford Police Department. As a result, if culpability is found, the highest level of consequence is enforced which could include expulsion for an entire school year.

“The needless disruption to student learning and the daily operation of our schools cannot be tolerated. The stress is already high amongst students, families, and staff. Added concern should not be the result of anyone’s inappropriate, ill-conceived actions.

“We will continue to address any and all situations that may arise. However, we are hopeful that with your help and our continued efforts at school, students will make the best decisions. We must try to refocus our attention on the happy and rewarding events of the spring that await each student in our district. With that focus, healing can begin and normalcy can return.”

Image via Shutterstock