Message Shared on Tuesday, September 24, at 5:30 PM:
Dear Worcester Public Schools Community,
I am writing to provide you with a status update on the threatening messages that were posted to social media over the past few days.
First, I would like to remind you that none of these messages have been deemed credible by the Worcester Police Department. We remain in close communication with WPD. Each and every report we receive is shared with and investigated by Worcester Police.
The good news is that the number of incidents has slowed down considerably since yesterday. We are aware of two reports today, which were deemed not credible. The principals of those schools are communicated with families about the incident.
I would also like to share that we have identified a small number of students who allegedly shared the threatening messages. These students were not the original senders. Still, this behavior is not acceptable, and the students are being subjected to discipline and consequences from law enforcement.
I would like to thank our staff, including school psychologists and counselors, who are on our Risk Assessment Teams to help gauge safety issues with our students.
Finally, I want to acknowledge that these past few days have left many people feeling stressed and fearful. For our children, please know that our school is full of trusted adults, including teachers and counselors, who you can speak with if you are feeling anxious and worried.
If you have any safety concerns, please contact an adult at your school. We take all concerns seriously and will make sure they are addressed. Please contact your school principal if you have questions about safety at your school.
Thank you and have a restful evening.
Sincerely,
Rachel H. Monárrez, PhD
Superintendent
Worcester Public Schools