The following message was emailed to all BC parents on Monday, Mar. 21.
Dear BC Parent/Guardian:
I am writing to inform you about two related incidents at the high school which began this afternoon when one student allegedly verbally threatened another student during a transition period between classes at the end of the day. The situation escalated to involve a total of three students and a staff member in a physical altercation in a school hallway at approximately 1:20 p.m. today, Monday, Mar. 21. Administrators responded to the situation immediately, which was brought under control quickly with no injuries reported.
The three students who were involved in the altercation did not return to class and their parents/guardians were notified. The students involved were supervised separately while waiting for their parents to arrive.
At approximately 2:12 p.m. the student who had allegedly made the original threat became agitated after getting into their parent’s vehicle in the parking lot outside of the high school. The student exited the vehicle and tried to reenter the school while allegedly making additional verbal threats of violence against the same student. The student who was trying to reenter the school was stopped by the School Resource Officer and another staff member and was escorted with a family member back to their parent’s car.
The Bethlehem Police Department responded to the incident outside the school when the student refused to leave school property. No injuries were reported as a result of the second incident.
Families should know that any and all threats of violence will be taken seriously and that the school will work with law enforcement to ensure students and staff are safe and feel safe at school. As a school district, we conduct investigations when threats are made against anyone in the school community. Any student who is making threats against students or staff or who is substantially disrupting the educational process will be subject to discipline according to the district’s Code of Conduct.
While today’s incidents were isolated to a small number of students, there has been an uptick in behavior at the high school that has caused disruption on several occasions over the past several weeks. I would encourage families to have a conversation with students about appropriate behavior in the classroom and at school.
I also want to remind families that the Bethlehem Police Department operates a Confidential Tip Line at 518-439-1503 for school and community use year-round. If you or your child sees or hears of threats to any individual, the tip line is available at all hours of the day.
School administrators, counselors, social workers, and other support staff are always available as resources for students and families. I encourage you to remind your students of this support system, which is an integral part of their school community every day.
Please be assured that a safe school environment remains our first priority.
Sincerely,
Jody Monroe
Superintendent