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Lansingburgh CSD Community,

I am checking in with you at the end of this week to discuss the large number of generic, non-credible threats of school violence that seem to be growing in frequency since the beginning of this school year. This week alone, our District dealt with two separate, widely circulated, non-descriptive social media threats. The District, in close collaboration with the Troy Police Department, immediately investigated and both were ultimately deemed not credible.   

That said, we take every potential threat of violence in our schools very seriously. We always inform the Troy PD and thoroughly investigate each instance with them to determine its credibility. No matter how non-descriptive or vague a threat might be, we will always investigate it to ensure the safety of our students and staff.  

However, investigating the credibility of a threat is made much more difficult when individuals choose to share it online instead of bringing it to the District’s attention immediately or directly to the Troy Police Department’s attention. When rumors like the ones that circulated this week are shared countless times online, it only causes understandable anxiety and often panic in our school community. It makes families fear sending students to school and employees afraid to come to work. We have seen significant drops in school attendance this week, largely due to these circumstances.

The first and only course of action for anyone who hears of or sees a potential school threat should be to immediately inform a district official (an administrator or teacher) or the Troy PD. Even if well-intentioned, choosing to share these rumors by posting on social media only disrupts our schools and spreads fear throughout our community.  It also pulls resources from the police department that could otherwise be used to investigate the legitimacy of these threats.

As we head into the weekend, I ask you to please take time to speak with your students about this topic so they understand the real-world consequences of sharing unverified assumptions online. Maintaining an environment at Lansingburgh where students and staff feel safe and can focus on their academics is our top priority.  To accomplish that, we need the support of the entire school community.  

Thank you again for your understanding in this matter.

Antonio Abitabile

LCSD Superintendent