Rumors of threat keeps Vernon students at home

VERNON — A rumor that went viral on social media over the weekend, led to about one-third of Vernon Township High School's 1,074 students, as well as a number of students at other Vernon schools, to not attend classes on Monday.

Vernon Township School District Superintendent Charles Maranzano blamed false rumors of a threat to Vernon High School for leading to the absenteeism.

Attendance was back to normal on Tuesday, he said.

Maranzano said Vernon High School Principal Tim Dunnigan was notified on Friday that rumors were circulating on social media regarding a potential threat involving somebody who doesn't attend the high school.

The person who was the subject of those rumors was a former student at the school, according to an official with knowledge of the matter.

Officials were able to determine that the former student was not the source of those threats and the rumors were being generated by others and were not credible.

According to school and police officials, the rumors differed widely in their nature, as is often the case with false high school rumors.

"There was a rumor that some harm would come to students who came to school Monday," Maranzano said.

"Somebody suggested there was a threat of violence," he said. "There is no threat, no credible, responsible, viable threat."

Dunnigan met with faculty on Friday to inform them that the rumors could lead to absenteeism on Monday. Dunnigan sent emails to parents notifying them of the false rumors, Maranzano said.

The rumors grew worse over the weekend, Maranzano said.

Maranzano said he engaged Vernon police on Friday and notified them of the situation.

"Rumors can be extremely dangerous," Maranzano said.

Several Vernon police officers were stationed at the school on Monday in response to a request from school officials, Vernon Police Det. Sgt. Jason Haw said.

Haw said the department determined that the rumors circulating were just that.

"Everybody had heard something different," he said. Haw said that some of the rumors were seen on Facebook and were not believed to be credible.

"It was blown so far out of proportion," Haw said. Vernon police posted a message on Facebook on Monday in order to dispell the rumors.

Maranzano said the officers were requested in order to show the district was being proactive. However, he said some reacted to the police presence by accusing the school of not being as forthcoming about the nature of the threat.

"It's a bit frustrating," Maranzano said. "We have to sort out the nonsense from what is real.

The rumors circulated on Facebook, Twitter and through other outlets, he said.

"Someone did us some damage online," Maranzano said. "These kinds of things tend to make the school look like the bad guy. We're not."

Reporter Nathan Mayberg can be reached at comm.reporter@strausnews.com or by calling 845-469-9000 ext. 359