HIGHLAND – Highland Community Unit School District No. 5 officials said a reported threat written on a bathroom stall earlier this week has been investigated and addressed. At the same time, district leaders and police urged the public to report safety concerns directly to authorities rather than posting unverified information on social media.
Highland Superintendent Mike Sutton said in a message to the school community that “early in the week it was reported that a 2-word threat with a date was reported on a bathroom stall” in the district. Sutton said building and district administrators worked with the Highland Police Department “to investigate and identify the individual who was responsible for the threat,” adding, “It was addressed and no further threat remains.”
Sutton said the student “was identified, admitted to writing the threat, and appropriate action was taken.”
Sutton also said the district is responding to “spin-off social media posts regarding additional threats,” but that officials have “no knowledge or proof of any additional threats being made.” He said the district is working with the Highland Police Department “to run down any additional posts on social media claiming that a threat remains.”
“Please, we ask that all students, staff, parents, and community members contact either the Highland High School administration or the Highland Police Department if you see or hear directly from an individual about an ongoing threat,” Sutton said. “If you see something on social media, please screenshot it and report it to HHS administration or Highland Police Department.”
He added, “Let me repeat, we are not aware of any additional threats at any Highland CUSD No. 5 building.”
In a separate statement, the Highland Police Department also urged residents to avoid posting unverified safety concerns online.
“If you see or hear something that causes a safety concern, please do not post it on social media,” the department said. “While it is usually done with good intentions, unverified posts can quickly create fear, spread misinformation, and make it more difficult for law enforcement and school officials to investigate properly.”
Highland Police said reporting information directly to the school or police “allows us to assess the situation quickly, determine if there is a credible threat, and take any necessary action to keep our students and staff safe.”
“We take every report seriously,” the department said. “If you see something, say something, to the school or to the police, not on social media.”
