Some parents at a Loudoun County elementary school are outraged tonight about the handling of a threat at their school. Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey reports they say they were kept in the dark about why a deputy has been posted at Lucketts Elementary.
What to Know
- On Aug. 17 a man called the school asking for his ex-girlfriend, who worked there, and later told her by phone he was going to shoot her.
- The threat was reported to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Aug. 20, and the man was arrested and charged the next day.
- Parents didn't get their first email from the principal until Sept. 24.
The superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools apologized to parents about how a threat against an elementary school staffer was handled.
Some parents said they weren't told about the threat until after they investigated why a sheriff's deputy was assigned to Lucketts Elementary School every day.
Parents learned on Aug. 17 a man called the school asking for his ex-girlfriend, who worked there, and later told her by phone he was going to shoot her.
The threat was reported to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Aug. 20, and the man was arrested and charged the next day.
Parents didn't get their first email from the principal until Sept. 24. It read, in part, "This security measure was enacted, purely out of an abundance of caution, as a result of a domestic issue involving a staff member. I want to assure you Lucketts Elementary is safe.”
Then, after several parents notified the principal they'd be keeping their kids home, another email was sent, explaining, "The staff member involved in this matter is away from Lucketts Elementary.”
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The man accused of the threat was acquitted, but a no trespass order remains in place barring him from Lucketts Elementary and all school grounds.
The superintendent sent a letter to parents promising a full review of how the potential threat was handled, writing, "I apologize for the missteps that have been made during our handling of the matter during the last two months. We let you down. I'm deeply sorry."
The deputy is no longer assigned to the school, but parents are pushing for a full-time school resource officer.
