Student 'Threat' Sparks Lockdown At West Orange High School, Principal Says

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A lockdown at West Orange High School has been lifted after a student allegedly threatened other students during a verbal argument, administrators said Monday.

WOHS principal Oscar Guerrero released some details about the incident to the school community. According to Guerrero:

“We are writing to inform you of an incident today involving a threat made by one student toward others during a verbal argument. School administration acted immediately to implement precautionary measures and ensure the continued well-being of everyone on campus … West Orange High School administration, the West Orange Police Department and the superintendent’s office assessed the situation and made the immediate decision to enter a shelter-in-place, which was followed by a lockdown. These protocols were initiated to make sure that our school remained secure while the report was investigated.”

“Please be assured that at no point was any student or staff member in danger,” Guerrero said. “These measures were taken strictly out of an abundance of caution to allow us to verify the safety of the building.”

West Orange police and district administrators have cleared the situation, and the school has returned to its normal daily schedule, he added.

“The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority,” Guerrero added, thanking staff and students for their “calm response” to the incident.

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