WOODSTOCK — After receiving a threat against a teacher and students, Woodstock Union High School closed for the day on Feb. 14 as law enforcement responded and investigated the situation.
The Woodstock Police Department was alerted to the threat around 8:45 a.m., at which point the school was already on a two-hour delay due to weather conditions.
Out of caution, the school decided to not open for the rest of the day.
Sergeant O’Keeffe and Officer Arora from the local police, along with Lieutenant Batista from the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department, arrived at the high school to coordinate with Assistant Principal Codi Tancreti.
The officers then visited the home of the student who allegedly made the threat, speaking with the student and his family.
Following the interview, a meeting was held at the school with Chief Joe Swanson, Sheriff Ryan Palmer, and administrative staff from both the high school and Mountain Views Supervisory Union to devise a safety plan.
To ensure security, the Sheriff’s Department stationed two deputies at the school throughout the day.
The Woodstock Police also engaged Vermont Health and Rehabilitation Services, which sent an Enhanced Mobile Crisis Team to assess the situation.
After evaluating the student, the Crisis Clinicians concluded that there was no active threat to the school or the community.
As a precautionary measure, two deputies will remain on campus on Feb. 15 to maintain safety.
At the end of the day, Chief Swanson reported the findings to WUHS Principal Garon Smail, affirming that the security of the faculty and students was the priority of the day’s efforts.
No arrests were made following the investigation.
