On Friday, Dec. 17, district administrators were made aware of a SnapChat social media conversation that included a threat to a school. The post did not mention Hornell. After an initial investigation by the Hornell Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department, no credibility to the message was found. However, out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased presence of law enforcement through the district this week. 

This is the second time in the past week where social media has been a platform for fear and threats against schools. The earlier instance, while also not specific to Hornell, was posted to TikTok and included a general threat to schools across New York. With this in mind, we ask families to be mindful of their children’s use of social media. Please discuss with your child the importance of sharing any information they might have about potential threats to our staff, students or schools. If you receive information about any threat of violence, you should report it immediately to law enforcement and your building principal or the Hornell district office. 

Thank you for helping to keep our schools safe.