Maple Ridge parents are concerned after a comment made by a Garibaldi Secondary student prompted a threat assessment and police presence at the school.
According to a letter sent out by Garibaldi Secondary principal Ian Liversidge, the school was made aware of a comment made Monday on social media by a student. It raised concerns about a possible safety issue set to occur on Tuesday, April 9.
“I want to assure you that the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and that we take any threats or potential threats extremely seriously,” said Liversidge.
While the school didn’t impose a lockdown, it did request an RCMP presence, said Irena Pochop, the School District 42 senior manager of communications.
“We did ask the Ridge Meadows RCMP to have a reassuring presence at the school this morning and sincerely appreciate their support,” added Pochop.
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According to some of the parents of Garibaldi students, the concerns appear to stem from a comment made on Snapchat by a student who had been subjected to continued bullying.
A screenshot shared online shows the alleged comments, which include the remarks “I’ll be the wall painter tomorrow and it will be red.”
Liversidge responded to one of the parents, via email, saying that he was aware of the Snapchat conversation and that the school had since communicated with the family of the student.
The district could not comment on if disciplinary action would be taken.
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