SAUGUS — In the wake of a threatening phone call to the high school, students are advocating for their own safety by taking the initiative to talk about it with school administrators.
Superintendent David DeRuosi said he met with a group of 35 to 40 students at Saugus High School for several hours Thursday afternoon to address concerns and talk about best practices in the event of a school emergency.
“Early in the morning, around 7:20 a.m., we got a call that a female student reported she got a strange voice phone message on her cell phone,” DeRuosi said. “It said there would be some type of attack at Saugus High School, today is the day.”
It was determined that the threat was not viable, but police remained on campus during the day and following night. Backpacks were searched, entry to the building was restricted to one entrance, and an after-school job fair was cancelled.
Prior to the incident, DeRuosi said he had received several letters from students in the past two weeks regarding school safety procedures.
“I made it clear I would stay all day with them all day if they wanted, and some chose to stay until 4 p.m.,” he said. “It is a real concern and I recognize that.”
The message was the second non-viable threat to the school in the past several weeks.
At the beginning of March, graffiti “of a concerning nature” was found on a whiteboard in the school.
The writing was discovered by a custodian in a wing at the rear of the building Wednesday night. While it did not directly threaten an individual or group, DeRuosi said it included concerning language.
“The reality is we now live in an environment where you are not guaranteed safety,” said DeRuosi. “It’s a matter of being prepared, having policies, and in a time of crisis everyone works together to make sure students and staff are safe.”
While Saugus Police are currently training in new procedures for school safety, DeRuosi said the most important thing is to follow the current policies, and for teachers to maintain positive relationships with students, who will in turn feel comfortable enough to go to them with concerns.
