Akron, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Hold in Place was initiated by school officials at the Akron Central School District on Thursday after a potential swatting threat was communicated to Akron High School.
Officials believe the threat was possibly intended for a school district not in New York State.
"At approximately 9:30 a.m. EST, I was notified of an emailed bomb threat sent to our District via our student absence reporting system. The threat was specific to the High School. This email was also sent to multiple other districts in a different state. The communication appeared to be AI-generated," said Akron Central Schools Superintendent Andrea Kersten in a statement. "We take all threats seriously, and acted with an abundance of caution. The email is now in the hands of the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation."
District officials contacted local law enforcement and activated their safety plan as a result of the swatting threat, with high school students being relocated to a separate campus area as part of the Hold in Place.
"We notified parents as soon as we were confident that our students were safe and coordinated with law enforcement to ensure that releasing an announcement would not interfere with their work or investigation," Kersten added. "We understand that this delay in communication may have added to stress and anxiety, and we sincerely appreciate your patience. The safety of our students remained our top priority throughout this situation, and we acted cautiously to support the efforts of emergency responders."
After a while, school officials were able to lift the Hold in Place, allowing instruction to resume as normal.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to our teachers and the entire staff for their professionalism and care, to our students for their cooperation and resilience, and to our parents for their patience and understanding throughout the day. This was a swift, coordinated effort by all involved, and I couldn’t be prouder of how our community came together in this situation," Kersten said.