Woodland Hills officials investigate social media threats, students return to remote learning
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Woodland Hills High School administrators said Wednesday that they received notice that a student threatened on a live social media post to bring a gun to school.
Later in the day, school officials said that students would return to remote learning Thursday and Friday. Fights inside the school prompted the same response a week ago.
“This threat was made during a live broadcast on the social media platform Instagram Live,” Principal Shelly Manns said in a letter. “Extra precautions were taken during security checks this morning. Churchill police were notified, and the district has been in communication with officers from the department throughout the day.”
Manns said the student who hosted the broadcast was not in school Wednesday.
“All rumors of any weapons on the high school campus were unsubstantiated,” she wrote. “We are continuing to monitor the situation and will take every step necessary to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”
Last week, a series of fights inside the Churchill high school led to a two-day closure of the building.
Superintendent James Harris said in a letter addressed to students, families and staff that 30 students had been identified in connection with the fights. The district is using surveillance video and cellphone videos to assist in the identification.
Those identified students would face possible suspension, expulsion and criminal citations, he said.
On Wednesday, the school canceled afternoon activities before announcing that students would return to remote learning for the rest of the week.
“All threats will be investigated and any student found to be making false threats or false reports will be disciplined,” Manns said.