Harriton High Schooler Made Threat On Snapchat Tuesday, Officials Say

A Harriton High School student posted a threat to the school on Snapchat Tuesday, but the Lower Merion School District said the threat did not pose "an imminent threat to the safety of students" after Lower Merion Police were notified.

In a letter to the school community, Superintendent Robert Copeland said law enforcement is handling the matter and the student who made the threat "will not be permitted to attend school until resolution of the investigation and any school-based actions."

A news website run by a Harriton Student, RickReports.tv, reports threat said “Don’t come to school tomorrow" and had three gun emojis following the message, as well as a photo of the student sticking his middle finger up at the camera.

"It is essential that students have clear parameters about social media use and a full understanding of the implications of their words," Copeland said in his message to the school community.

Patch has reached out to Lower Merion Police for more information and will update the story when possible.

Read Copeland's entire letter below:

Dear Harriton and Lower Merion Families,

Earlier this evening we were advised of a threatening message posted by a student on Snapchat about committing a violent act at school. Upon receiving this information, we immediately notified local law enforcement and they have been directly handling the matter.

While the investigation is still ongoing, the police have advised us that the situation does not pose an imminent threat to the safety of students. Along with law enforcement, we have addressed the Harriton student who posted the message and that individual will not be permitted to attend school until resolution of the investigation and any school-based actions.

Please know that we take these matters extremely seriously and have no tolerance for violent threats of any kind. Student safety is always our top priority. Moving forward, this situation will continue to be addressed in accordance with school district policy and in consultation with the authorities. This incident also serves as an important reminder about the appropriate use of social media. It is essential that students have clear parameters about social media use and a full understanding of the implications of their words.

Finally, we would like to express our appreciation for how quickly the matter was reported by students and families in the District. We are grateful for your continued support in helping to ensure the safety of our school community.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Principal Scott Weinstein at Harriton at (610) 658-4950 or Principal Sean Hughes at Lower Merion at (610) 645-1819.

Sincerely,

Robert Copeland
Superintendent

Image via Shutterstock