LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– Lafayette High School Principal Bryne Jacobs said in a letter to families that out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased police presence at the school Friday after officials say there was a social media post circulating saying that someone had threatened violence at the school.
The letter also mentions the fake news alert claiming to be from LEX 18 stating that there will not be school Friday because of a bomb threat. That text is fake. LEX 18 does not have the ability to send text messages, only push alerts through our app. You can read more on the bogus text here.
You can read the letter to Lafayette High School families: below
Dear Lafayette 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, we were made aware of a social media post circulating among our students alleging someone had threatened violence at our school. There is also a fake news alert text designed to look like a Lexington news station has announced schools are closed because of the rumor. 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. In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, we have made arrangements for an increased police presence on campus tomorrow. We have no reason to believe there is any credence to these texts.
We are proud of those who reported this matter because that demonstrates our students are serious about helping us keep Lafayette a safe place to learn and work by reporting concerns immediately to trusted adults.
Please help us to remind our students 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.
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.
Please don’t hesitate to call me at 859-381-3474 if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Bryne Jacobs, Principal
