A day after parents questioned school leaders about safety during a community forum, Liberty County High School was placed under lockdown.
According to Major Jeff Hein of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the “soft lockdown” Friday was a precaution after a student saw an Instagram post that mentioned a vague threat at a “liberty campus.”
Liberty County’s Emergency Management Agency issued an alert, saying the threat did not specify the high school.
It noted there are several liberty campuses, including ones in Florida and Texas.
The statement read, “Even though, we do not feel that the threat was eminent, we followed all safety protocol and procedures and involved law enforcement as a precautionary measure. The safety of our students and staff will continue to be the utmost importance and we are looking forward to a remainder of a productive day at Liberty County High School.”
Hein said the school was maintaining routine class schedules during the investigation. The school was reopened around 12:30 p.m.
There is a heightened state of security at schools nationwide after a 19-year-old Florida teen shot and killed 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Valentine’s Day.
Thursday evening, during the Liberty County School System’s Community Forum, parents questioned Interim Superintendent Dr. Franklin Perry about emergency protocols, school and school bus safety and creating an environment where kids can feel safe or report danger.
“Safety and security is one of our governances,” Perry said. “There have been 18 school shootings this year. Safety is our priority. We are always looking at safety measures every day and we are on high notice right now. All the principals were notified to remain vigilant and it is an ongoing thing.”
Perry mentioned they are looking into installing class cameras that a teacher can activate when an emergency occurs. He said they are also looking at a different video system on school buses that will immediately download video into the LCSS computer network so they can be accessed and viewed quickly.
He said it is also up to the parents to monitor their children’s social media and check for signs of behavioral problems or depression.
“Our young folk need to, and we are working with them on how to get along, and how to treat each other,” Perry said. “Life is full of ups and downs, and they need to understand that just because they have a bump in the road that is no reason to give up or decide they want to do something to other folks.”