School threat in Orange deemed not credible
Published: 03-30-2023 3:07 PM |
ORANGE — The daily schedule at Ralph C. Mahar Regional School went uninterrupted Thursday after a reported threat of violence the day before was investigated and deemed not credible.
A letter penned by Principal Scott Hemlin and sent to parents and guardians states the school’s administration will follow up with its own investigation and address the matter in accordance with school policy and procedures.
“Please know that the safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance,” the letter states. “Incidents such as this are taken very seriously and in order to maintain the safest school environment possible, it is imperative to have the mindset of ‘See something, say something.’”
Hemlin wrote that a threat was made by one student and overheard by another. The information was reported to the Orange Police Department.
“I would like to thank the individuals who initially reported the threat to the Orange Police Department and the members of the Orange Police Department for conducting a prompt investigation and ensuring our safety,” Hemlin wrote.
This was the second threat made against the school in the past four weeks. According to another letter Hemlin wrote, a student on Feb. 28 became aware of a threat via social media and notified her guardian, who in turn contacted Orange Police. The threat pertained to something that would supposedly happen at the school the following day, March 1. Hemlin’s first letter states police investigated and determined the threat was not credible. Much of the letter mirrors the content of the one posted on March 29.
Efforts to reach Hemlin or Elizabeth Teahan-Zielinski, superintendent of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union 73 school districts, for more information were unsuccessful by press time on Thursday.
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Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.