PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE
Pulaski County Public Schools has released an update about the reported social media threats that caused the school division to close on Friday.
Following hours of investigation, the sheriff’s office and PCPS administrators were ultimately able to identify the student(s) who posted and shared the meme about the threat; however, they were unable to confirm whether an actual threat was made. School officials said students who posted and shared the meme will be facing severe disciplinary consequences.
After interviewing students and families on Friday, authorities learned that many students have been talking about last Friday’s shutdown and the alleged threats made the Thursday prior but school officials said the threats were misinterpreted, leading to “unnecessary and inappropriate social media postings.”
“Please know that our school system remains safe and we will return to a regular school schedule on Monday,” the school said.
The football game set to kick off Friday evening will now be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. at Kenneth Dodson Stadium.
The following safety protocols will be implemented beginning Saturday:
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Students 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and remain in the stands except to go to the concession stand or the restroom
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PCPS student book bags are not allowed and all other bags brought into the stadium may be subject to a search by school system administrators
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Once the game is over, all spectators will be asked to exit the stadium and campus grounds immediately
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School security and law enforcement officers will be present when gates open, throughout the game and will stay until the gates are locked. On Saturday, there will be additional deputies on the grounds
“Please know how grateful I am for our school community’s patience and understanding during the last 24 hours,” Pulaski Superintendent Robert Graham said. “As I stated last night, I know the closing of schools today was a huge inconvenience for many, but it was the right decision and I am glad, once again, our school division remains safe. We look forward to seeing our students, staff and community members again next week!”
ORIGINAL STORY
Pulaski County Public Schools announced Friday that they would be closed due to social media threats that directly targeted schools in the division.
Pulaski County Public Schools say that law enforcement is involved and that the posts are being investigated as best as they can. They said, however, that they were unable to determine if the threats that were made were credible or not.
Due to the uncertainty, the county said that they would be closing schools on Friday. The school said that they would be placed under a CODE 0.
The home football game against Lord Botetourt is also postponed along with a varsity volleyball game that was scheduled for Thursday night. Deputies from PCHS are also waiting at the school on the return of the JV football team to ensure they will be safe.
Superintendent Robert Graham also said that he will stay in touch with investigators over the weekend and come up with a plan for Monday.
You can see the full post here. 10 News will continue working for you to cover this story and will provide updates as they become available.
