In a routine that has become all too familiar in the region lately, police were called to two Delaware County schools today, after threats to the schools were made on Facebook. The threats at Walton and Downsville schools come during the last few days of school, when high school students are taking Regents exams and end-of-year ceremonies are wrapping up.
The Walton Central School District has been subjected to a barrage of disturbing Facebook threats throughout much of the school year. The arrest of a local woman in connection with the threats in January -- 27-year-old Jennifer Morris -- did not put an end to the threats, which resumed again in early May.
On Thursday evening, parents of Walton schoolchildren received a message from interim superintendent George Mack that yet another threat had been received, hinting that something dangerous might be in a backpack. Students were told to bring their belongings to school in clear plastic bags instead of backpacks, and that all bags coming into the school would be searched.
"The threat was specifically that there would be something in backpacks that would be destructive. It didn't say what," said Mack.
Neither Walton nor its two schools were identified specifically in the threat, Mack said, although the threat was sent to a Walton resident.
Police from the Walton Police Department, Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police were on hand at the school today along with a K9 unit, Mack said. There will be a police presence at the school through the end of the year on Thursday, June 20.
An investigation into the Walton threats is ongoing, and has been underway for some time. Mack told the Watershed Post that the school district has forwarded information on to the FBI.
Walton police chief Brian Laauser was not immediately available to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The Downsville Central School District also reacted to a Facebook threat on Friday, the first the school has received this year. It was not immediately clear whether the threats to the two districts were connected.
Downsville interim superintendent Charlotte Gregory said that like Walton's, the threat made to Downsville was sent to a local resident, not directly to the school.
"It said, 'There will be a shooting at the Downsville school tomorrow,'" Gregory said. "We can't tell if it's an old message or a new message. It got sent to some folks probably at 3am this morning. We didn't hear about it until 11:30, when two parents called us."
The school was on lockout today, and several state troopers were at the Downsville school today investigating, Gregory said. The school took extra precautions during dismissal, loading buses one at a time. A message about the threats was posted by officials on the school's Facebook page around 1pm.
Downsville's last day of school is Monday. Gregory said a decision had not yet been made about whether law enforcement will be at the school on Monday.
State police at Binghamton said that no official information about the threats was available at this time.
