Belleville East principal sends parents message about school violence threat

The principal at Belleville East High School sent a message to parents Friday regarding a “social media threat to schools nationwide.”

Officials do not believe the threat is credible but the Belleville Police Department and other law-enforcement agencies are “taking it seriously,” according to Principal Andrea Gannon’s statement.

Belleville Township High School District 201 as well as other school districts in the region have dealt with threats.

Details of the threat were not listed by Gannon, who asked parents to monitor their children’s social media use.

The threats have been posted in the wake of a school shooting in Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed on Sept. 4.

Here is Gannon’s statement:

“Belleville Township High School District 201 has become aware of a social media threat to schools nationwide. These posts have been shared widely on social media. The troubling posts refer to threats to school safety throughout the United States. We have heard reports from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, our Belleville Police Department and other metro-area law enforcement are closely monitoring the situation and 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. 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. Ensuring a safe and secure learning environment requires all of us. Thank you for reinforcing this message to our students.”