Dear Community members,
By now most of you have heard the rumors regarding an alleged threat made against Carey Schools. The rumor is that a student threatened to do harm to other students, and depending on the person you’re talking to, the threat either was for September 23rd or 24th. Or possibly another date, again depending on which variation of the rumor you may have heard.
Carey Schools takes any rumor or threat extremely seriously. There is no such thing as “sweeping it under the rug” or trying to hide anything from the community. Every rumor regarding violence of any type is always taken seriously. The school administration has been working on this issue from the moment it came to our attention, and is still working on it. The Carey police department has also been working on this issue. Anything of this nature is always going to be investigated to the fullest extent.
The fact (not rumor, fact) is that there has not been any student who has told us they have heard any other student actually make a threat against another student or against the school. Students have told us they heard someone say that someone else told them that someone made a threat. No actual evidence, just rumors. No student has stepped forward saying they ever heard a threat themselves. None!
Rumors are dangerous things. They lead to panic and over-reaction. We completely understand if the rumor makes you concerned for your child’s safety. We also understand that you may not want to send your child to school when you hear these rumors. But spreading additional false rumors, such as the school doesn’t do anything about possible threats is just as dangerous. It is completely misleading and false. And it leads to students not feeling comfortable in school, or in any public setting for that matter. It starts to destroy any sense of community.
When you hear a rumor of any kind, you are always welcome to contact the school to find out the facts. We will share any information we can legally share. We cannot jump to conclusions or simply declare someone guilty based on a rumor. We always investigate any threats or anything that might compromise our school community. And please know that school safety is always our priority. There are no guarantees of safety anywhere in this world. Churches, stores and shopping centers, bars and restaurants, and even private homes are targets for violence. We will continue to do our best to make sure your child is safe at school. We welcome you to help us with that goal. Thank you.
