Schools
Possible Threat In Millburn School On Tuesday Was Deemed 'Not Credible': Principal
An "alleged" threat at Millburn Middle School was investigated Tuesday, the principal said, but was deemed "not credible."
MILLBURN, NJ — Among nearly a dozen threats made to schools in New Jersey this past two weeks, the Millburn Police were notified of an "alleged" threat at Millburn Middle School this past Tuesday, the school's principal said this week. However, a district spokesperson said the threat was unrelated to viral TikTok threats against schools this week, and the principal said the school community was in no danger. READ MORE: 11 NJ School Threats, Some Involving Guns, In Past 2 Weeks
Millburn Middle School Principal John Connolly said in a letter to district parents late on Tuesday that when notified of a possible threat, school administrators "immediately started an investigation to assess the credibility of the threat through our threat assessment protocols."
Officials talked to multiple students, a district spokesperson explained on Friday.
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Police were also notified about the situation, Connolly said.
"Ultimately, it was determined that the treat was not credible and there was no danger to the building, students, or staff," Connolly wrote. "All district security procedures and protocols were followed as part of the investigation. We take any and all threats seriously."
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District spokesperson Nancy Dries said that Tuesday's incident was unrelated to the viral social media trend this week.
When asked about possible disciplinary action, Dries said all protocols were followed, but that she could not get into details. She said each situation is handled on a case by case basis.
Principal Connolly's letter stated:
"Today we had an alleged threat made during the school day. The administrators immediately started an investigation to assess the credibility of the threat through our threat assessment protocols. The Millburn Police Department have been notified of the situation. Ultimately, it was determined that the treat was not credible and there was no danger to the building, students, or staff.
"All district security procedures and protocols were followed as part of the investigation. We take any and all threats seriously and utilize our district security protocols to ensure, first and foremost, the safety of our students and staff.
"In closing, we want to apologize for the late notification informing you of today's incident, however it was essential that we allowed the investigative process to play out to ensure the safety of our school.
"We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at school."
During the past two weeks — leading up to the ninth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut — there were at least 11 threats reported in New Jersey schools.
The threats also followed the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan where four students were killed and seven others wounded.
Some schools around the country closed on Friday because of threats circulating on TikTok and other social media. Millburn increased its police presence but did not close. READ MORE: Police In Millburn Schools Friday, But No Threat: Superintendent
READ MORE: TikTok School Threat Has NJ Officials On Alert
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