What to Know
- Parents were notified on Friday about a threat of violence made in November to a New Jersey middle school
- The threat was allegedly going to be carried out on Feb. 23. The student has been removed from the school
- Some parents are angry that they weren't notified sooner
A New Jersey school district notified parents about a student's threat "to shoot up" the school -- a threat that was made several months ago.
Some parents said they were angry the Mahwah School District withheld the information for months. The principal later disputed that information about the threat had been withheld.
The threat was made in the fall against Ramapo Ridge Middle School, according to the email sent to parents on Friday night. The student said the violence would take place on Friday, Feb. 23.
Superintendent C. Lauren Schoen said the student has been removed from the school for the rest of the year. She said the student was later placed on long-term suspension due to other concerns, not the alleged threat.
Additional security measures would be put in place at the end of the school day on Feb. 22, she assured parents, including additional police officers who would be present the entire day.
Mitchell Greenblatt, whose daughter attends the middle school, said he didn't agree with the school district's decision to wait months to notify parents.
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"What would happen from November to February 23rd if the kid did anything?" he asked?
Principal Daniel Vander Molen emailed families again Saturday saying that parents were notified by email on Oct. 28 about the threat. A copy of that email was attached. It didn't contain specifics including the Feb. 23 date or the threat "to shoot up the school."
The shooting last week in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people has heightened concerns about school safety.
Some New Jersey parents said they plan to keep their children home on Friday. Others said they planned to protest at the school on Wednesday.
Mahway school officials didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
