A Message from Superintendent Saxe

In the interest of full transparency, we want to inform you about a threat reported to a school employee via phone this afternoon. The caller did not provide specific details, such as the name of a school, district, or state. The FBI and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force sought and obtained emergency provider records and attempted to review the call. Based on these electronic records and phone review, there is no evidence to substantiate a threat to Berkeley County Schools at this time. We are working closely with our law enforcement partners as they continue to investigate this matter, which is believed to be a “swatting” attempt.

Swatting refers to the criminal act of making a false report to provoke an emergency response, often involving law enforcement’s SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team. These threats are designed to create panic and create an immediate, heightened response from authorities.

Out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased presence of city and county law enforcement around our schools tomorrow morning. We are confident in the safety protocols we have in place at each of our schools and are unified in our partnership with law enforcement agencies to keep our students safe.

As a reminder, any suspicious activity should be reported immediately to local law enforcement, the WV Safe Schools Helpline at 1-866-723-3982, or through the See Something, Send Something app.

Thank you for your support and cooperation as we continue to prioritize the safety of our school community.

Dr. Ryan S. Saxe