What to Know
- More threats have prompted another shelter-in-place order at seven Paterson public schools Thursday, authorities say
- The nature of the threats wasn't clear; the district superintendent said more information would be released as it becomes available
- The Paterson Public School District serves 25,000 students in grades K-12 and another 2,900 pre-K students in community centers
Seven more public schools in Paterson, New Jersey, are operating in shelter-in-place mode Thursday after district officials were told of threats against them, authorities said.
Two of the schools -- Eastside High School and the John F. Kennedy Educational Complex -- also got threats a day earlier, prompting the district to order a total of 15 public schools and neighboring preschools to shelter in place all day.
Under a shelter-in-place order, instruction continues but students and staff are not permitted to leave the school building. The move has been ordered out of an abundance of caution; no outdoor activities will be held and all after-school activities will be canceled, the district said in a statement on its website.
According to the district, Sen. Lautenberg School, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Complex and Public Schools 12, 20 and 24 also got threats Thursday. No details on the threats have been released.
The Paterson Public School District serves 25,000 students in grades K-12 and another 2,900 pre-K students in community centers.
Superintendent Eileen Shafer said in a statement Wednesday that the district conducted a "thorough and comprehensive threat assessment." Paterson Police, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the State Police are investigating the matter, she said.
In a letter to parents, Shafer said more information would be released about the threats "as it becomes available."
"Your child's safety is always our top priority," the statement said.