Student Made Threats Against Montville Schools, Officials Say

MONTVILLE, NJ — A 15-year-old student was arrested after making threats against Montville Township High School, superintendent René Rovtar said in a letter sent home to parents.

The school learned about the threats on Feb. 21, although they "had been made several weeks prior," police said in a statement included in the letter. The police department investigated, and charged the teen with causing a false public alarm and harassment on Feb. 26.

No weapons were found at the high school.

Parents were notified the afternoon of Feb. 28 about both the threats and the arrests.

"We continue to work closely with the Administration of the schools within the Township to ensure a safe environment for the students of the District. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children and reinforce the message: 'See something, say something.' We thank those who came forward and reported this information," Rovtar said.

Schools across the nation have been on high alert since 17 people, many of them students, were killed and 16 more injured in a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Threats to schools, many of them turning out to be unsubstantiated, have skyrocketed.

According to The Educator's School Safety Network, there have been 532 school-based threats or violent incidents in the U.S. since the Parkland shooting — an average of 88.7 per school day. In all, 490 schools in 49 states have been threatened or had actual violence happen, according to the group.

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