Tremont superintendent says rumored threat to safety not “credible”

TREMONT, Ill. – The superintendent of Tremont District 702 says rumors of threats to school safety were determined to be not “credible or legitimate.”

25 News reports that Sean Berry sent an email to parents in the district on Thursday about rumors of threats.

He says administrators and police investigated and did not find it credible, adding that the district has a thorough threat assessment process in place.

Berry says the district is encouraging students to speak up if they hear or see something suspicious or concerning.

The full statement:

“Good morning.

There have been rumors circulating recently about a potential threat to school safety at the high school. These rumors have been investigated by administration and law enforcement extensively and are not believed to involve credible or legitimate threats. Because the anxiety level of some students is heightened and, in light of recent events nationally, I wanted to reach out with this message to help ease the minds of those who have heard of these rumors.

I want to assure everyone that we have a thorough threat assessment process in place and our team works in coordination with law enforcement to check into any rumors of this type. We encourage kids to speak up if they hear something or see something on social media that could pose a threat to school safety and we always check into it through investigation and our threat assessment process.

I have kids of my own that I send to school each day so I can assure you that these types of rumors are always checked into and assessed accordingly.

Thank you for your time.”