Social Media Threats Not Directed At Plainfield D202: Superintendent

PLAINFIELD, IL — In light of recent social media threats targeting schools, Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Superintendent Glenn Wood released a letter Monday to address parents' concerns.

Social media threats, the nature of which Wood did not expand on, have been circulating online recently, but no specific threat was directed at District 202, he said.

Wood said school staff take "the safety of our students and themselves very seriously every day." The district uses "every precaution to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community daily" and treats "all threats with the utmost seriousness."

The superintendent shared the following key safety protocols taken by the school district and Plainfield Police Department:

• We have police liaison officers working within our schools.
• Our staff regularly discusses emergency protocols with students.
• All staff members receive extensive safety training from the Plainfield Police Department and our district.
• We require all classroom doors to be closed and locked during school hours.
• We use a double-door entry system, requiring visitors to state their name and reason for visiting twice before being granted access to the building.

"While we unfortunately cannot prevent all threats from being made, I want to assure you that we are doing our utmost to be prepared and to keep our students, staff, and community safe," Wood wrote, adding, "Your trust in us is not taken lightly. We remain vigilant and committed to providing a secure learning environment for all."

Just last week in Geneva, a school gun threat circulating online prompted a police investigation. After detectives were notified by a Geneva middle school parent about a gun threat being reposted via the Ring app, police determined the threat was "a hoax" that was "a report of a threat made last school year," Patch reported.