Security Officer Overhears Student Threat At Keansburg School

KEANSBURG, NJ — A school security officer overheard a threat made by a student at a Keansburg school last week, which resulted in a full investigation done at the school and at the student's home.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which announced the news, did not reveal which school it was in Keansburg.

The student was overheard last week making the threat. The school security officer overheard it, and the student's home was searched. No weapons were found in the home, but a school yearbook was found with several classmates’ photographs blacked out.

The boy told investigators those classmates were “mean” to him.

“We take all threats very seriously. It is imperative that parents have regular conversations with their children about the importance of the words that they use and actions that their children take which could be construed as a threat to the safety of students and others,” said Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.

The child involved in this incident is not being identified because he is a juvenile.

The juvenile is charged with third-degree terroristic threats. The case will be handled in the juvenile system, but charges of third-degree terroristic threats could result in a term of incarceration for the boy.

“Bullying is taken seriously by law enforcement, school officials, and parents. Should bullying acts rise to the level of a criminal offense, there could be criminal consequences for juveniles and adults," Gramiccioni added. "Bullying is wrong. We must find a way to better assist those who are bullied so that the bullying conduct ceases, and also for victims of bullying to learn how to seek help in a non-violent way,”

The incident remains under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Keansburg and Middletown police.

Shutterstock image