Cornwall Central School District addresses middle school safety concerns after student threat
According to the district, the student’s remarks were reported to staff at Cornwall Central Middle School on Thursday and were immediately investigated by school administrators and police.
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The Cornwall Central School District is addressing safety concerns at the middle school after a student made a threat that district officials and police say was investigated the same day and determined not to be credible.
According to the district, the student’s remarks were reported to staff at Cornwall Central Middle School on Thursday and were immediately investigated by school administrators and police.
The situation drew broader attention this week after a parent raised concerns in the Living in Cornwall community Facebook group, encouraging families to contact the school district and local authorities.
“I really hate to have to write this, but I feel it’s important that families are aware of a serious situation,” the parent wrote. The post claims a sixth grader made statements about “getting a gun and killing half the class,” and later told classmates to “stay safe and hide in the bathroom.”
The parent also claimed the student remained in class the following day.
“Despite this, today the child who made these statements is sitting in class next to our children,” the parent wrote. “I love this town, but I am deeply concerned by what feels like a lack of regard for our children’s safety.”
The Cornwall Central School District has not confirmed the wording of the threat, but in response, it sent a letter to families confirming that unspecified statements were reviewed under the district’s established threat assessment procedures.
“Upon completion of the investigation, all involved jointly determined that the statement reported was a non-credible threat,” the district wrote.
The district said the review followed the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines and included school administrators, mental health staff, security personnel and law enforcement. The district also said a detective from the Town of Cornwall Police Department investigated and similarly found no credible evidence of a threat.
District officials acknowledged the desire for more information but said state and federal privacy laws limit what can be shared publicly.
“Federal and state privacy laws prohibit us from sharing personally identifiable information or discussing specific disciplinary actions taken against any student,” the district wrote, adding that the matter was handled in accordance with the district’s code of conduct.
The district also thanked those who reported the comments and encouraged families to remind students about the importance of reporting concerns directly to school staff.
News 12 confirmed with Town of Cornwall police that officers investigated the reported statements and found no credible threat.
