Police will monitor Grafton schools Friday after national threat

Grafton Police will be closely monitoring schools Friday after a national threat “for every school in the USA, even elementary” was circulated on TikTok.

Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings, in a message to parents, stressed there has not been a direct threat to Grafton schools but in the interest of student safety, schools and police are taking it seriously.

“This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats,” Cummings said. “Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. 

“We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online,” he added. 

This marks the second time this month that police have responded to a potential school threat. On December 9, police increased their presence at Grafton High School as a reaction to rumors on social media platforms about a student in a neighboring community.

Grafton isn’t the only community monitoring the situation. Schools in Massachusetts and nationwide are taking precautions as a result of the TikTok post, which was first issued as a challenge to skip school on December 17 but was changed to a school shooting threat. The social media post originated in Arizona, according to national reports.

Concerns about school violence are specially heightened due to two factors: a mass shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan, which killed four students; and the December 14 anniversary of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut which killed 26 people, most of them kindergarten students.

“If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify a school staff member or trusted adult right away,” Cummings wrote.

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