Threats In Norwood Public Schools Verified

NORWOOD, MA - The superintendent of the Norwood Public Schools confirmed Friday that there have been two threats of violence in the schools during the past two weeks, mirroring a recent trend in schools across the state and the country.

"Yes, there have been reports," said Superintendent David Thomson in an email. "The school quickly initiated our threat assessment protocols. The threats were assessed and eliminated as needed.

"We take all of these seriously and work closely with NPD to fully investigate," he continued. "We are thankful for members of our school community notifying us directly of any concerns to ensure our schools' safety."

He added that he could not be more specific about the incidents, noting confidentiality about the discipline of students. There was also a concern that there could be copycat incidents if the details were revealed.

Thomson stressed that any information should be reported directly to the schools, not posted on social media.

There have been increasing reports of violence in Massachusetts schools since in-person classes resumed in September. Yesterday, The Boston Globe reported an alleged attack of a student who is blind in a lavatory on Dec. 2 at the Henderson School in Dorchester. This happened at the school where one month ago, the principal was allegedly knocked unconscious by a student during dismissal. This led to the school being closed for two days, as reported in The Dorchester Reporter.