CAMP HILL, Pa. – Police and West Shore School District are a step closer to identifying the person or persons responsible for writing a threatening message on the wall of a restroom at Cedar Cliff High School. Students reported the threatening graffiti to school officials on Monday.
Taking the threat seriously, district officials increased police presence at the school Tuesday morning.
School District Superintendent Todd Stoltz posted the following statement to parents and guardians on the district website:
“As you may already be aware, on Monday Cedar Cliff High School students found a threatening message written on a wall in the first floor boys’ restroom. The District takes any threat to our security and the safety of our students, staff, and visitors very seriously. Upon learning of the message the school put its emergency response plan into action. An internal investigation, which included a review of security camera footage, and the involvement of Lower Allen Township Police quickly resulted in a narrowed scope of time and individuals who may be responsible for writing the message. After consultation with the police department the District felt it safe for classes and after-school events to be held as scheduled at Cedar Cliff and neighboring schools today with an increase in police and administrative presence in and around the school campus.
As a school system, we have a huge responsibility to protect our school community today and every day. We take that responsibility very seriously and it is only after detailed assessment of a threat is made that we begin efforts to return to as normal an operation as possible. Today further investigation was conducted and from a safety standpoint we believe that our response to yesterday’s threat was and remains appropriate. All activities for this evening and tomorrow will continue as scheduled with the continued increase in presence by law enforcement.
For many students and parents, yesterday’s threat resulted in rumors and spreading of inaccurate information which, understandably, resulted in anxiety and fear. For others, the message created an opportunity for copycat behavior which has been witnessed in other schools and neighboring Districts.
Monday’s threat is an unfortunate reminder that we each must be ever vigilant in our preparedness for responding to suspicious or potentially dangerous incidents at school, work, home, etc. We must also increase our awareness to our surroundings, be observant, report any and all concerning behavior or events, and be prepared to take action, when necessary. The students that discovered the message yesterday at Cedar Cliff and reported it to school staff are a wonderful example of this and are to be commended. Providing a safe and positive environment is clearly a common priority, as it should be, which benefits from our collective efforts. Should you, or your child, have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us by email or call the school directly.
My thanks to everyone who has provided feedback and who have expressed their concerns on the importance of communication during events such as this.”
Sincerely,
Todd B. Stoltz, Superintendent