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Police: 14-Year-Old Made Threat Against High School

A 14-year-old township boy was arrested and suspended from school in connection with his allegedly making an online threat against Franklin High School on Feb. 15.

Police and district officials determined the threat to not be credible before the youth was arrested, according to a press release from the Franklin Township Police Department. No students were ever in danger, the release said.

According to the release, members of the Board of Education became aware of the threat made on social media in the late evening hours of Feb. 15.

The board members contacted FTPD, and an investigation was launched by members of the FTPD Patrol Division, Detective Bureau and the School Resource Officer, according to the release.

The youth was charged with 3rd Degree Terroristic Threats and was processed and released to his parents.

Schools Superintendent John Ravally sent it the following notice and robo-call:

“Good Morning, this is Dr. John Ravally, Superintendent of the Franklin Township Public Schools.

“The purpose of my call is to inform you that late last night we learned about a threat made to one of our schools that was posted on social media. Working with the Franklin Township Police Department we were able to determine in a short time that our schools were in no imminent danger. The student involved has been arrested, charged and removed from the school. I want to reassure everyone that we as a district continue to make safety a priority.

“The recent tragic school event that occurred in Parkland, Florida is a reminder that we as a community need to remain diligent in our efforts to secure our schools. We are fortunate to have a strong relationship with the Franklin Township Police Department and by working closely with them, we as a district are able to put measures in place to best secure our schools.

“If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact the Director of School Management, Mr. Wilson or me directly.”

Later in the day, the district released the following statement:

“The district learned of the incident late last night. The police department conducted their investigation and we were informed of the outcome of the investigation today, in the early morning hours. The outcome of the investigation was that the threat was deemed not credible and that there was no imminent danger. As such, we did not send a message to parents and guardians at that time. We did share the information later that morning so that parents/guardians were aware of the situation and how it had been resolved. We responded to the circumstances as they presented.

“Under different circumstances, for example, if the investigation had not been resolved, or if it had revealed a credible threat, our response and the timing of our notification to parents would have been aligned to those circumstances.”

 

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