HAMMOND – For the second day in a row, Hammond High Magnet School has been closed because of threats.
The campus was closed on November 12 after the first round of social media threats led administrators to determine it wasn’t safe to hold classes that day and drew Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies to the campus at 6:30 a.m.
“We have a potential threat at Hammond High School,” a notice posted to the Tangipahoa Parish School System Facebook page read. “Law enforcement has been contacted. Until we can know for sure that the campus is safe, students will not be allowed to remain on campus. The threat is only at Hammond High. We want to always err on the side of safety. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”
On November 13, administrators again decided to close the school after a second round of threats surfaced.
Those threats were issued online and were more specific than the first round, according to Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa Stilley.
“The campus of Hammond High Magnet School has been searched twice and nothing has been found that could be a threat to our students or employees,” reads a post update on the school system’s Facebook page. “We will provide 24 hour security and surveillance at the school until we feel the threat is lifted. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate and is actively pursuing all possible leads in this case. If anyone has any information that could help us with this investigation, please contact the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. Hammond High Magnet School will resume classes on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 with increased security and law enforcement. In the event of additional threats, we know with confidence that our campus is safe and secure for both students and employees. It is unfortunate that we live in a time such as this, but please know that the safety of our students and employees is of utmost importance to us. We will always error on the side of safety when it comes to our families.”
Students, parents, and teachers are asked to check the Tangipahoa Parish School District Facebook page for updates.