According to Diane Valden of The Columbia Paper,
VALATIE—Columbia County Sheriff’s Office handled an incident at the Ichabod Crane Central School District involving a social media post about a weapon, April 6 at about 11:30 a.m.
A group of students reported the social media post that was a cause for concern and the school resource deputy was immediately notified by administrative staff. Once the post was viewed by the school resource deputy, protocols were put in place for a “Lock Out” in the primary and middle schools and “Shelter in Place” for the high school, according to a press release from Sheriff Donald Krapf.
According to an email that day from the school district to parents on the subject of Important Safety Information, “While there has been no specific threat made to Ichabod Crane CSD, we are erring on the side of caution until an investigation can be fully completed.”
A separate April 6 press release from the school district said, “This morning a concerning social media post which referenced a weapon was brought to the attention of administration by an Ichabod Crane high school student.”
Law enforcement was able to quickly identify the source of the media post and conduct a thorough investigation which allowed the school to be reopened shortly after the regular daily dismissal.
A 16-year-old was charged with third degree falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor.
“Over the course of the afternoon, the source of the post was identified and all individuals involved were interviewed and searched. In addition, all areas of concern on the campus were also searched by law enforcement.
“No credible threats or weapons were discovered. Out of an abundance of caution, after school activities were canceled to allow for a secondary search of the high school by K-9 units,” according to the district’s release.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the State Police, and the Albany Police Department. Several canines were brought in from each agency to sweep the school in an abundance of caution to ensure there was no threat.
“I credit the quick and successful resolution of this incident to the dedication and hard work of the men and woman of the Sheriff’s Office and the multiple agencies that responded. I would also like to thank the school district staff and students for their patience, and cooperation which assisted greatly in allowing law enforcement to ensure the safety of the campus,” Sheriff Krapf said in the release.
ICC Superintendent of Schools Suzanne Guntlow noted in the school district release, “We are so proud of our students who quickly alerted their principal with the information and to our staff who followed all safety protocols and remained calm as we worked through the situation. The district is also grateful for the quick response and assistance of our local law enforcement partners and is appreciative of the patience and cooperation of our school community. As always, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority.”
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com.