All is well after hoax threat to Waitsfield Elementary School

Other schools including Stowe Elementary also received hoax threats

September 26, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti

Update 12:40 p.m.: This post was updated with information about a similar threat received this morning at Stowe Elementary School.

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All is well at Waitsfield Elementary School after school officials worked with Vermont State Police this morning to investigate what they quickly determined to be a hoax threat directed at multiple schools.

Harwood Unified Union School District Superintendent Mike Leichliter and Principal Kaiya Korb sent out a message to all staff and families at 10:30 a.m. after first notifying those connected with the K-6 Waitsfield school. The communication describes that the school received a call around 8:30 a.m. from Vermont State Police alerting school officials to a tip regarding a message made on a veterans’ helpline online chat. Police told school officials that the concerning message originated out of state and they did not believe it to be credible.

The school was already locked for the day when school staff and state police did a security check through the building. No further “secure-the-building” protocols were put into motion, school officials said.

School leaders said that the situation would be explained to students in “age-appropriate” ways. Leichliter said that the school just this week had practiced a “secure the building” drill. “This hoax illustrates the importance of our robust security practices and system,” he said.

Leichliter also praised the state police response and attention in the matter. “They had a handle on what was occurring when they called [the principal],” he said. “Can’t say enough about their professionalism and knowledge.”

Additional threats

The incident is one among others that have been reported in Vermont and in Connecticut in recent days and believed to have originated from the same source, according to the information police shared with the school district.

Waterbury Roundabout contacted Vermont State Police for more information regarding what other schools have been affected by the threats. Lt. Charles Winn said another similar threat was received regarding Bradford Elementary School today. State police will issue more information on the incidents later today, Winn added.

Just before noon, The Stowe Reporter posted a news story online relaying details of a similar threat called into the Stowe Police Department and directed at Stowe Elementary School this morning. In that case, the caller claimed that “a person with a weapon was in a bathroom inside of the school,” according to Lamoille South Superintendent Ryan Heraty’s account to the newspaper.

The school was placed on lockdown for approximately 15 minutes while school officials and law enforcement from multiple agencies conducted a search that turned up nothing out of the ordinary. Afterward, activities returned to their normal routine, the paper reported.

This story will be updated. The full message from Harwood Superintendent Mike Leichliter and Waitsfield Principal Kaiya Korb is below.

Dear HUUSD Guardians and Staff,

The message below just went out to Waitsfield families.

This message is to let you know that our school received a threat and that everyone is safe.

Here is what we know:

At approximately 8:30 this morning, the Vermont State police notified the Waitsfield School that a threat of school violence had been received through a veterans’ help hotline group chat. During the initial phone call they stated that they did not believe it was a credible threat.

The Vermont State Police Intelligence Center was able to quickly track the threat to a computer IP address outside of the state. Additionally, they verified that very similar threats, delivered in similar fashion, were received at schools in Connecticut in the past few weeks.   

The exterior of the building was secure. A complete sweep of the building, internally and externally, was made immediately by school officials and then by Vermont State Police to confirm safety. Given the state police assessment that this appeared to be a hoax, the school did not engage in further secure-the-building protocol.

Students and staff are being informed of this report. Information will be shared in an age appropriate manner in classrooms, where we can answer any questions and reassure students of our safety protocols and their own safety.  We practiced a “secure the building” drill earlier this week. This hoax illustrates the importance of our robust security practices and system.

State police have since confirmed that similar threats have been received at other schools in Vermont today and earlier this week.  
The safety of our students and staff is, and always will be, our highest priority.

Respectfully,  

Dr. Mike Leichliter, Superintendent
Kaiya Korb, Waitsfield Principal