(11.21.18) - Update from the Superintendent
Published on Nov 21, 2018 13:33

The following will be sent via automated telephone call to Good Hope Middle School families.

Dear Good Hope Middle School families:

The purpose of today’s call is to make you aware that Hampden Township Police have identified the individual responsible for posting a threatening message to a social media page earlier in the week. Police have indicated that the threat was not credible and, at no point, was there evidence to indicate that the individual was intending to or would have been able to follow through with the threat.

We would be remiss if we did not take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for Hampden Township Police Department and their tremendous efforts to bring this case to fruition. We are privileged to have Hampden Township Police, together with our other local law enforcement agencies, as members of the greater CV community.

As we have shared many times before, we all play a vital role in any school-wide safety effort; it is the duty and responsibility of students, staff, and families to report any potential threats to the proper individuals. While privacy laws prohibit us from discussing discipline of any specific individual, we can assure you that any student found responsible for making threats of violence will face consequences as allowable by both District policy and law.

Additionally, we feel it is worth repeating that we strongly encourage parents and guardians to use this as another opportunity to remind students about the power of words and the consequences associated with making threats, even when those threats are meant as a joke and when the student has no intentions of, or capabilities to, follow through with those words.

Thank you for your continued trust, support, and partnership.

Frederick S. Withum III, Ed.D.
Superintendent