Schools back in session in Los Angeles district

As demonstrated by Tuesday’s shutdown of Los Angeles schools, threats can cause large, costly disruptions and traumatize students even in cases that might involve hoaxes. NY quickly dismissed the warning as a hoax, and its schools remained open.

“‘I think it’s irresponsible…to criticize that decision at that point, ‘ Beck said”.

In the second deadliest, a lone gunman shot dead 20 young children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.

A spokesman for the New York Police Department said the emails to both LA and NY officials “Were the exact same with the exception of putting in the cities’ names and changing the number of people who were supposed to be participating in it”.

A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said the threat involved bombs in students’ backpacks. The official was not authorized to disclose details of an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. You see, my last 4 years here at one of the district high schools has been absolute hell.

– From Associated Press writer Tami Abdollah in Washington, D.C. After they detonated, people “with ISIS connections” would assault with AK 47 rifles and other firearms, said Beck, who was paraphrasing the email.

NY police commissioner Bill Bratton said Los Angeles school officials had over-reacted.

Across the nation, small and large districts regularly encounter the age-old challenge of deciphering threats, complicated today by more sophisticated technology that can make them harder to trace. “It was so outlandish”, de Blasio said.

At the evening news conference, Garcetti resisted the use of the word hoax, suggesting instead “criminal mischief”, or someone testing the vulnerabilities of cities.

The poll said 40 percent of respondents feel national security and terrorism should be the government’s top priority and more than 60 percent say those concerns should be in the top two.

A voice message from the LA Unified School District said: “As a result of a threat received the superintendent has directed all schools to be closed today”.

It was only an hour after the 7:09 a.m. initial bilingual phone message that the website added a rolling red banner across its screen to inform parents and students that school was out for the day.

Lupita Vela, who has a daughter in the third grade and a son who is a high school senior, called the threat “absolutely terrifying” in light of the San Bernardino attack.

District Superintendent Ramon Cortines says he ordered the closure as a precaution.

Two school districts outside Indianapolis canceled classes Thursday after officials said threats were made against their schools, but many other districts across the country say they received threats that were less than credible, and classes will go on as planned.

Los Angeles local CBS television news reported that the closure cost the school district a whopping $29 million at a time when education across the state continues to struggle with budget cuts.

The email mentioned if classes were canceled, there would be an attack on the streets of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Bakersfield and San Diego.

“Parents are encouraged to send their children to their regularly scheduled classes on Thursday, Dec. 17”.