The following is an important message from Superintendent Jody Monroe…
Call threatening school violence deemed to be “swatting”
Dear BC community member:
On Wednesday evening, Oct. 2, the Bethlehem Police Department received two anonymous threatening phone calls. One of the calls included a threat of violence against Bethlehem High School; the second call did not target any school.
According to the the Bethlehem Police Department, the department along with the FBI, have investigated the two calls and they appear to have characteristics of a “swatting” hoax. The preliminary investigation shows no evidence of any local connections with the caller. The investigation is ongoing.
Swatting is a deliberate and malicious act of reporting a false crime or emergency to produce an aggressive law enforcement response. The goal of swatting is to harass or menace the target, and the calls often involve reporting a fake crime like a shooting, hostage situation, or bomb threat.
Schools and police agencies across the country were alerted to the possibility of swatting calls targeting schools today. There was no school today in the Bethlehem Central School District.
The Bethlehem Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have been investigating a series of calls threatening Bethlehem schools between Sept. 10-12 that have also been identified as swatting. That investigation is also continuing.
As a school district and a community, the safety of students and staff is priority number one. School personnel and the police department will continue to be on heightened alert as we navigate this difficult situation. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant in this shared commitment by reporting any threatening language or suspicious activity to police or to any trusted adult.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Jody Monroe
Superintendent