LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– A letter was sent home to the families of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Wednesday.
In it, it said that a student reported finding graffiti threatening violence at the school on a flier in a girls’ restroom stall.
The letter said that the incident is being investigated.
You can read the letter below:
Dear Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Families:
One of my top priorities as your principal is to make sure we have open lines of communication between home and school. Just as we hope you will let us know about situations at home that affect your teenagers, we want you to trust that we will inform you anytime something unusual happens at school.
Just before the end of the school day, one of our students reported finding graffiti threatening violence at our school on a flier in one of the stalls in a girls’ restroom. The student brought the flier to her teacher, who immediately alerted school leaders. Working with the police officers in our building, our administrative team is actively investigating the incident.
We take any and all reports of potential threats against our students, staff and campus seriously and will continue our investigation this evening. If we have a resolution tonight, we will send a follow up communication, but in the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, we have made arrangements for an increased police presence on campus tomorrow.
We are proud of the student who reported this matter to her teacher and pleased to share that we have also received tip line messages about the graffiti. These reports demonstrate that our students are serious about helping us keep Dunbar a safe place to learn and work by reporting concerns immediately to trusted adults.
Please help us to remind our youngsters that situations like this are extremely serious. While some may think this is a joke, it is important that our students understand that making threats against a school is a felony under state law. Adults face punishment of up to five years in prison. Penalties for juvenile offenders are more flexible on a case by case basis.
Anytime there is a health or safety issue at school, we want you to hear the facts from us. Thank you for the privilege of working with your children and for your understanding that we are working diligently to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment on campus.
As you know from my previous communications, we will begin phasing in the implementation of stationary metal detectors on Monday, October 22, with full implementation on Monday, October 29. We’re excited to be the second high school in Fayette County to have this security enhancement in place under the district’s Comprehensive 10-Point Safety Plan.
Please don’t hesitate to call me at 859-381-3546 if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Betsy Rains, Principal
