Negaunee schools closed Wednesday due to threat report | News, sports, work

NEGAUNEE — Negaunee Public Schools closed Wednesday for safety reasons, with administrators emphasizing there is no threat to students or staff.

The Negaunee Police Department received information from the FBI’s Detroit Field Office about a 15-year-old student threatening to shoot at the school via the social media application Snapchat.

Negaunee Public Schools Superintendent Dan Skewis was immediately notified, following safety protocols and closing schools on Wednesday.

“Good morning. As you know, the NPS location is closed today due to security concerns we received this morning from the FBI and the Negaunee Police Department. I received a call at 6:35 this morning from our police department stating that a 15-year-old had placed on Snapchat message saying there would be an act of violence at school today.” Skewis said in an email to parents. “Due to the timing of the incident and the fact that some of our students were already on the school bus, the decision was made to cancel all buildings based on this information. At 7:06 I received a call from the Negaunee Police Department. Our department has informed us that although the child lives in Negaunee, he attends school in a neighboring district, so the threat is not direct to NPS and is not directed at any of our school buildings.

“This news brings relief and frustration at the same time. The school will remain closed for the entire day due to the difficulty of getting students to school at such short notice. All extracurricular activities will take place as scheduled. The safety of students and staff will always be our top priority in our operations. Sorry for this inconvenience. I hope you can enjoy this day.

Contact was made with the student, who admitted to making the threat, but claimed it was a joke, and with the student’s father, who confirmed that the student had neither the ability nor the means to carry out the threat.

Additional school districts in the area also took safety seriously. Negaunee Public Schools was the only one closed in the area as NICE Charter Schools and Marquette Area Public Schools remained open, but that was announced during the investigation.

“Our local law enforcement system worked well in cooperation with the Negaunee administration.” said NICE Community Schools Superintendent Bryan DeAugustine via Facebook posts on the NICE school district’s page. “Negaunee reacted quickly and remained cautious. We were up to date all the time. Local law enforcement quickly dealt with the problem. If there were ever any questions, we would close too. Times are strange and difficult. Still, I have great faith in our local law enforcement, our neighborhood schools, and our own.

“I repeat that we were kept informed throughout the morning’s incident. Our law enforcement agencies investigated the matter and took immediate action. Our school district was not involved.”

In a statement, Marquette Area Public Schools Superintendent Zack Sedgwick said: “This morning, MAPS administration was made aware of a social media post suggesting a threat of violence against the school. By the time MAPS administration was notified, the source had already been identified and interviewed. Based on the police investigation, there was no actual threat to MAPS students. As a result, it has been determined that MAPS will remain open today. This individual’s comments are in no way unacceptable and our intention is to cooperate with law enforcement to ensure they are held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, due to the timing of the threats, the neighboring district was forced to close.

“Please remember that there is no threat to MAPS students. Social media has allowed information to spread quickly and easily. Use this opportunity to educate your child about the importance of using social media appropriately. It is very important that students understand that any type of threat will be taken seriously and severe disciplinary action will be taken against them.

“As always, the safety of our students is our highest priority. If you become aware of any disturbing comments or behavior, please notify school officials or law enforcement. Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our law enforcement agencies for their quick handling of this matter. The diligence of these officials is paramount as MAPS continues to provide the safest possible learning environment for our students and employees.”