March 14, 2018

Dear SLUSD families,

I wanted to provide an update to this morning’s high school incident and the subsequent “copycat” incident at John Muir Middle School. We want to provide as much information to families at this time about what occurred today.

Importantly, we are pleased to report that authorities found no evidence to indicate a credible threat at either campus. I was on both campuses today and witnessed students and staff who were respectful and well-informed on how to respond during a lockdown drill.

As background, this morning at San Leandro High School, several students reported to Principal Dr. Ronald Richardson that there was graffiti in one of the school bathrooms indicating a potential gun violence threat. The school went into immediate lock-down per district protocol. The school was declared safe by the San Leandro Police Department and students were dismissed at 1pm.

Subsequently after 1:00 pm, a supervisor at John Muir Middle School discovered threatening graffiti in one of the bathrooms. A lockdown went into immediate effect and San Leandro Police officials arrived quickly on the scene to ensure the safety of the students. After a sweep of the school, it was determined there was no threat and students were released at the regular dismissal time.

We share in the frustration and concern that these incidents took place in our district. It was an unfortunate but real reminder of the world today. We remain dedicated to protecting every child's right to feel safe, supported, and protected at school. We have received inquiries from concerned parents and community members which we address below in a question and answer format.

Finally, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the San Leandro Police Department, the staff at SLHS and John Muir as well as our students for responding in a calm, quick and respectful manner. I would also like to thank SLUSD families for their patience and understanding during the implementation of our emergency response protocols.

 

Sincerely,

Mike McLaughlin, Ed.D
Superintendent

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Is it true that weapons were found at the high school?

We are aware of a rumor posted on social media that guns were found on campus. San Leandro Police completed an extensive search of the campus and absolutely no guns were found.

 

Why was school dismissed early at SLHS?

Given the disruption and understandable anxiety of the students, we determined an early dismissal at SLHS was warranted, and we dismissed high school students at 1:00 pm today.

 

Why is SLHS closed tomorrow and John Muir is not?

The threat at San Leandro High School indicated the violence would occur on Thursday. School safety is our number one priority and closing school was deemed an appropriate response. At John Muir the threat was generic in nature and not date specific. The police have characterized it as a “copycat” incident.

 

Will counseling services be available for students that need it?

Mental health support services will be available for students on campus.

 

Have suspects been identified?

There is an active investigation underway in conjunction with the San Leandro Police Department.