This morning, Billerica Memorial High School administration was informed of a non-specific bomb threat towards an area high school through a social media application known as Yik Yak. Yik Yak allows individuals to broadcast their thoughts “anonymously” to individuals within a certain geographic area. Upon being made aware of the threat, the Billerica Police Department was immediately informed and conducted a threat assessment in consultation with the NEMLEC STARS team. Consistent with both the results of the threat assessment and our own district policies, the threat did not elevate to a level where it impacted the normal school day for students. I am very pleased to report that we have already identified the source of the threat, and that the Billerica Police Department is currently taking appropriate action. I thank them, as always, for their cooperation and support during today’s event. Finally, I would encourage parents to talk to their children about their activity on the Internet, and how none of their actions online are ever truly anonymous. Our words have impact both on ourselves and on others, and we should always think twice before we post.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 19:18:29 +0000