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"The writing contained no threat or criminal intent," and an alleged translation that circulated via social media was "inaccurate and misinterpreted," Cresskill Schools Supt. Dr. Peter Hughes said in a letter to the community.
Hughes didn't share what the message actually said.
However, a source with direct knowledge of the incident told Daily Voice: "The family is from the Sudan. It was meant to be a message from a sister to her brother saying, 'I don't like the Israeli girl behind me,' but it was translated into all sorts of things."
Some parents claimed that the message drawn by the 12th-grader last Thursday, Oct. 12, was hateful toward Israel -- a contention that couldn't be officially confirmed right from the start.
And even though she apparently is a minor, certain students and parents published the student's name, home address and email address along with a photo of her at the blackboard with her brother looking at the Arabic message on the blackboard.
Members of the district's Threat Assessment Team worked with school officials, Cresskill police, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office and "two independent translators from the Office of Homeland Security who are fluent in the dialect of the writing," Hughes said.
"In addition to the translation, we have interviewed all students directly involved," the schools chief added. "Similar to our findings in the translation, no credible threats were found after discussing the specific context with the students directly involved."
Hughes had confirmed last week that an incident occurred without going into specifics.
Administrators and law enforcement "are investigating an incident that has come to our attention and has raised concerns," he wrote in a letter to the community last Thursday.
"Rest assured that we will do everything within our power to address it and ensure that it does not happen again in the future," the schools chief vowed.
Hughes also said there would be "an increased police presence in all three of our schools [on Friday], with police patrols regularly monitoring the premises."
Hughes had some choice words in his follow-up on Tuesday, Oct. 17:
"Unfortunately, incorrect information has been circulated by some in and beyond our community through social media. This had the effect of heightening fear in our community and targeting an Arab Muslim family in a way that was not fair.
"Although we had parents in the community that took immediate action to have the post removed from social media (thank you), copies have continued to circulate.
"Going forward, it is imperative that we look as a community for ways to ensure safety and action in support of all students, parents, and staff, rather than allowing false information and fear to rule our decisions and to endanger our school climate or safety."
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