Kemptville school reopened after threats, but parents worry about ongoing police investigation

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Parents of students at St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Kemptville are expressing their frustration, anxiety and concern after multiple anonymous threats prompted police to close the school six times in October due to anonymous threats. 

The school re-opened for a half day Thursday, with extra security measures such as a police presence in the parking lot, locked external doors and additional staff. The extra security is expected to continue next week and there will be ongoing collaborative threat risk assessment protocols with police as needed. 

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The latest threat shut the school down Tuesday and Wednesday this week. There was a four-hour lockdown at the school on Sept. 13 after a similar threat.

Speculation is rampant on the Kemptville community Facebook groups. Some commenters are pointing to a Tik Tok challenge that dares students to shut down their schools. Others suspect it’s a child who doesn’t want to go to class. 

Despite the extra security, some parents were reluctant to send their children to the school while the police investigation is in progress. 

“I don’t like that there isn’t a result,” said Patty Baird, the mother of a Grade 10 student who stayed home Thursday. “They say it’s safe to go to school but they haven’t gotten to the end of it. I find that a little worrisome. I will not send my son back to school when we don’t have answers.”

She wants to know more about the threats and where they’re coming from. “Is this something close to home? Is it coming from overseas? There are so many details we don’t have that I think we should have. It’s frustrating.” 

Teachers have concerns, too, said Mike Hamilton, the Eastern Ontario unit president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. 

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“There is obviously some anxiety as a result of a lack of knowledge,” he said. “Where are the threats coming from? What’s the validity of them? All of those kinds of things are concerns.”

Teachers are also concerned about their students, said Hamilton.  “The staff have said they’re very cognizant of the stress this puts on the kids, and they’re responding with a trauma-informed approach.” 

Adam Whelan was waiting near the school to pick up his daughter, a Grade 10 student. He said he wasn’t nervous about the situation and has confidence in the police investigation. 

Shannon Hellemond’s children, who are in grades 11 and 12, were also in class Thursday. 

Hellemond said she gained some reassurance during an online session with a threat-assessment expert. Parents were invited by the school administration to tune in to the session with Kevin Cameron, executive director of the Alberta-based Center for Trauma Informed Practices. A separate session was held for teachers. 

“He talked to us about how the stress might manifest in the kids, what to look for and how to support them, but also talked about the likelihood of this situation turning into something violent,” Hellemond said. “I understand it’s really rare that violence actually arises from an anonymous threat.” 

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She also learned that it’s unusual for threats against a school to be directed to police, not the school itself, which she felt helped explain the lack of information from the school.

“We keep hearing people calling for more transparency but really, it’s not up to me to decide when it’s safe and when it’s not. I’m happy to leave that to police.” 

Police have said little about the investigation. A statement from Grenville County OPP on Tuesday confirmed “another anonymous threat of violence” against the school, resulting in this week’s closure, but refused to speculate on any connection to previous threats. 

“The OPP is continuing to investigate these incidents and is committed to locating those responsible and holding them accountable,” the statement said. 

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

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