A threat in Marlboro, New Jersey, shut down an entire school district. The emailed bomb threat came just days after an heated school board meeting. Is there a connection, or just coincidence? NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports.
An unspecified "low credibility" bomb threat forced the closure of Marlboro Township Schools in New Jersey Thursday as authorities investigated, officials say.
Marlboro Township Schools, which enrolls nearly 5,000 students in pre-K-8th grade, initially called for a two-hour delayed opening district-wide, citing the emailed bomb threat. A short time later, a decision was made "out of an abundance of caution" to cancel classes for the day and allow an investigation, an updated post on X said.
Details on the nature of the threat weren't made available. The mayor's office later said, "in coordination with State Police and the Department of Homeland Security, we have determined this threat to be of low credibility."
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Board of Education buildings were also targeted in the threat. Nearby Town Hall municipal offices were closed as a precaution. They have since reopened. School officials didn't immediately say if classes would resume Friday. A notification on the district website noted only Thursday's closure and provided no further information.
The threats came less than two days after a heated school board meeting in which a parent accused a teacher of inappropriate contact with a students. Marlboro's mayor and and district superintendent did not return requests for comment.
The investigation is ongoing, Marlboro officials say.
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The Trenton Board of Education reported a similar bomb threat investigation Thursday. Its buildings were also evacuated as a precaution; people were allowed to return once a bomb-sniffing dog signaled the all-clear.
Asked about the dual threats Thursday, the New Jersey Department of Education said it could not comment on active investigations and referred to local law enforcement agencies.
