West Bloomfield Schools go virtual after threat; suspect apprehended
West Bloomfield Schools will move to online learning through Friday following a Monday morning social media threat against the district, school officials said in an email to parents.
The suspect behind the threat was apprehended by the Oakland County Sheriff's Department in conjunction with the West Bloomfield Police Department, West Bloomfield Schools Superintendent Gerald Hill said in an email.
The district had contacted West Bloomfield police Monday morning when it was alerted of the social media threat. Some students were already in school while others were on their way, Hill said.
The police department in a morning post to its Facebook page noted detectives were actively investigating the threat and that the department had assigned extra patrols to West Bloomfield Schools "in an abundance of caution."
Parents and families of students were notified before 9 a.m. that the district was on lockdown due to threats, and they received notification around 9:45 a.m. to pick up students from school.
Teachers will be in contact with parents with further directions, Hill said, adding that the students would be engaged in synchronous learning for the remainder of the week.
"This means that students will be online, learning with their teachers all day, every day," said Hill. "Students will follow their normal school day, zooming into each of their classes."
Parents of children who do not have a computer at home can pick up a device between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, at ACS, located at 6810 Commerce Rd. in West Bloomfield. They can call (248) 865-6489 upon arrival.
Extracurricular activities and after-school activities will still take place for the remainder of the week, Hill added.
Along with the West Bloomfield School district anonymous chat tool, the following resources are available for children or parents who need support:
- Common Ground for community members in crisis. Call or text "Hello" to 1 (800) 231-1127 to talk with a crisis counselor.
- Oakland County Crisis/Suicide Line. 1-800-231-1127
- OK2SAY. Students are encouraged to talk to a trusted adult if they see or hear something that doesn't seem right. They can also report information anonymously using OK2SAY. Call 855-565-2729; text 652729; or email OK2SAY@mi.gov. For emergencies, dial 911.
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