Joint Statement from Frenship ISD, Lubbock ISD, and Lubbock-Cooper ISD on False Threats Made to Local High Schools

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Frenship ISD, Lubbock ISD, and Lubbock-Cooper ISD received phone calls with threatening messages toward several area high schools.

Law enforcement agencies including district police departments, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating the calls and quickly determined there was no immediate danger to the schools and the threats were believed to be a hoax.

Through the joint law enforcement investigation, a juvenile in Colorado Springs was identified as the person making the calls and false threats. As the investigation continued, another five juveniles in the Lubbock area were identified as possibly being involved. While the five local juveniles did not make the calls, they are being investigated as perpetuating the false threats. Law enforcement is currently working on potential charges against those involved.

Our districts take these threats very seriously and safety protocols were initiated that led to massive disruptions to school including multiple schools being evacuated while others were placed on a “secure” safety response and/or required increased law enforcement presence.

While these calls were determined to be a hoax, these false threats spread fear and panic among our students, staff, parents, and community. They disrupted the school day and wasted valuable law enforcement resources. They also led to additional rumors that circulated area schools throughout the week.

This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Our districts are committed to pursuing serious disciplinary and criminal action against those who not only make false threats, but those who knowingly share false information that continues to spread fear. If you or your children are made aware of a threat, please notify district administrators or law enforcement immediately so that action may be taken to protect the safety of students and staff, instead of continuing to spread potentially false information.

We encourage our parents to talk with their children about the very serious consequences that will result from making threats to the safety of schools and knowingly sharing false threatening information.