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Wanaque and Ringwood officers were called to Lakeland Regional High School on Sept. 6, following reports that a student was overhead "making a threatening statement about another classmate," Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Wanaque Police Chief Ketih V. Spillane said Wednesday, Sept. 18.
As a result, officers remained at the school for the day, as classes continued normally.
Meanwhile, members of the Wanaque Police Department met with the student and their parent, Valdes said. A records check indicated that no firearms were registered to any family members living in the home, according to Valdes.
"Based on this information coupled with conflicting and uncorroborated information collected during its investigation, the Wanaque Police Department concluded that there was no credible threat to the students at the school," the prosecutor said.
The incident caused panic amongst the community, as parents told Daily Voice they were never made aware of the incident by school administrators until Tuesday, Sept. 17, when their children showed up to school and were greeted by a large police presence, again.
Lakeland Regional HS Superintendent Hugh Beattie tells Daily Voice that parents were, in fact, notified through the school's community alert system. Parents, however, remain insistent that they were not notified until they received Beattie's email sometime after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17.
"There was NEVER a threat regarding a school shooting or bombing. Out of caution, I had the Wanaque and Ringwood Police here to ensure our communities that our students are safe and able to learn," Beattie's email reads.
When asked by Daily Voice why his letter said there was never a threat, Beattie said only to contact Wanaque police and the county prosecutor, whom he said deemed the threat unfounded.
Parents expressed the desire for more prompt and clearer communication from Lakeland administrators.
In a Ringwood Moms and Dads Facebook group, one parent opined:
"This was handled about as poorly as possible. Not notifying any parents this morning. Having us all find out from our kids, was reprehensible. No other way to describe it. All they had to do was send out a text this morning. Something like 'there was an online threat, police came, searched the building and perimeter, building is now secure, no threat going forward, police will be here all day for support. We are going to go on with our day.'"
Beattie's letter closes by saying that the threat was nothing but a rumor on social media, and that his administration did their best.
"Please understand that social media can often cause situation for which it was not intended... today was a perfect example.
"We tried to answer calls and emails as quickly as possible to put to rest this unnecessary panic. Please know that your children are my children also and that I would NEVER put them in harm's way. Because many of you picked up you children, which is your right, they have missed a day of school. If there was ever a viable threat, you would have been well notified by now."
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