Student Social Media Threat Being Investigated At Stagg

PALOS HILLS, IL -- Stagg High School officials are looking into a possible threat that was reportedly made Tuesday by a student on Snapchat. Palos Hills police are investigating the situation. Parents were apprised of the situation in an email from the high school principal Eric Olsen :

"Late this afternoon Stagg High School was made aware of a threat from one student to another on social media. Stagg High School immediately contacted local law enforcement who investigated the incident with our cooperation.

All threats are taken seriously by Stagg High School and Palos Hills Police and are investigated thoroughly. We are aware that there are a number of social media posts expressing concern about this situation and we wanted to make our community aware that it is being addressed by both law enforcement and Stagg High School.

We appreciate all of the students, parents and community members who reached out to both Stagg and law enforcement, reinforcing our belief that if you see or hear something, you need to say something."

Deputy Chief Traci Hlado, of the Palos Hills Police Department, said no arrests have been made and that the incident continues to be addressed.

“The Palos Hills Police Department along with Stagg High School are handling the incident and there is no cause for concern at the school or the surrounding communities,” Hlado said in an email.

According to an email staff received at the high school, the student was not going to be in school on Wednesday. Police are questioning all parties involved and have been in contact with the student and the student’s parents.

Teachers and staff members were also reminded that if they see any student who appears to be emotionally struggling with recent events, such as last week’s tragic shooting Parkland, FL during which 17 students were killed, to send students to the guidance department so they could receive counseling.

“All Dist. 230 schools practice safety procedures regularly and have strong relationships with local law enforcement,” district spokeswoman Carla Erdey said in an email.

Coincidentally, a regularly scheduled “mega” safety meeting between Dist. 230 staff members and police departments from Stagg’s feeder communities was taking place on Wednesday, Erdey said.

Following the school shooting in Florida, Olsen sent an email to parents reminding them of the importance of taking proactive measures to keep each Dist. 230 school, including Stagg, Sandburg and Andrew, safe.

“Part of our school culture is the belief in 'Saying Something' if a student, staff member, or anyone connected to Stagg is concerned about safety. The 'Say Something' message aims to empower students to inform a trusted adult if they ever see or hear anything related to safety that is concerning. Their concerns may be for themselves, a friend, the school, or the community and can affect one person or many people. At school, your child has learned about what is important information to share, with whom to share it, and how to share it. We hope that you encourage your child to "Say Something" to you or another trusted adult if they ever have a safety concern.