Chatham-Kent police investigate alleged threats to high school

Chatham-Kent police say they are closely monitoring alleged threats made toward Chatham Kent Secondary School but that there are currently no threats to anyone’s safety.

The Chatham-Kent Police Service and Lambton Kent District School Board are aware of the comments and concerns circulating about alleged threats made toward the school and officers are actively working to investigate the matter.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary measures to ensure everyone's safety,” states an update from police.

The school board also posted a statement on their website that says the board “is working closely with the Chatham-Kent Police Services as they closely monitor this situation.”

Both the school board and police say there are currently no threats to the safety of students, staff, or the school.

“We want to assure the community that we take all threats seriously, and our investigators are actively working to investigate the matter,” police said.

Police say should new information become available, they will update the community.

Concerned parents

“Parents are concerned about not having any communication through the school, even if you don't know all the information, just give what you know so the parents feel like you're communicating with us,” said Marcie King, whose son attends CKSS.Marcie King, concerned parent in Chatham-Kent, Ont., on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

“I understand the police need to do their investigation and they need to get all the information, but just say there's been a threat and if you knew prior then today, then we should have known.”

King stated many students and families remain concerned about any possible threat in the near future. “A lot of kids are nervous to be here. Also nervous to come the rest of the week. We're in a small town, we're not used to this, you know, we just want information.”

Susan Maynard lives near by and explained her granddaughter stayed back from school on Monday out of an abundance of caution.

“School should have been canceled… do online,” Maynard said. “That way students are safe.”

She added, “If it was posted on the weekend, it should have been dealt with on the weekend. Not wait till today.”

Others like Nicole Gall said they’re concerned even though they don’t have children of family attending the school.

“It is a threat to a school in Chatham and it makes me very nervous,” Gall told CTV News.

Gall said there were rumours circulating that also linked the threat to a recent fire in the school.

“The problem is that schools are not informing parents of important things that are going on.”

Gall continued, “We do have a right to know what's going on in our school system and it's not okay for threats to be made and no statements to be made.”