COURTLAND

Southampton Middle School was placed on lockdown Monday afternoon and the Sheriff’s Department was contacted when school administrators discovered that someone had written a note containing a threat.

According to Superintendent Dr. Gwendolyn Shannon, the school was locked down for approximately one hour. The lockdown was not officially lifted while students were on campus, but with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Department, school administrators transitioned from lockdown to a controlled dismissal. After dismissal, the Sheriff’s Department reassessed the situation and subsequently issued an all clear.

“The safety and welfare of each student is paramount to our district and any and all threats, credible or not, are taken as such,” Shannon said in a letter to parents regarding the incident. “School officials and district administration are working in coordination with law enforcement to determine the origin of the note. Our students behaved admirably, which made it possible for us to do our jobs efficiently.”

All Southampton Middle School employees were also sent home and all after-school events for the day were cancelled. Shannon remained in the building after everyone had left to answer the phone if parents called with questions or concerns.

Sheriff’s deputies were in the building the following morning as a precautionary measure.

Maj. Gene Drewery, spokesman for the Southampton County Sheriff’s Department, said he could not discuss the nature of the threat, and that the investigation is ongoing.