Dear Putnam Valley Community:
The Putnam Valley School District is aware and has been closely monitoring a threatening social media post that has recently gone viral. As always, we are working closely with our neighboring school districts and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. As mentioned in the statement issued by the Sheriff’s Office, this threat originated from out of state and is not deemed to be credible. The post does not identify any specific school district.
Message from Putnam County Sheriff’s Office:
“As you are all aware, TikTok has been flooded with videos and comments about the possibility of school violence on December 17. It appears that it started in Texas and went viral in the past few days. The Sheriff’s Department, along with other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, are closely monitoring social media for any potential threat to our area schools. At this time, there has been no threat made to any area school, and I will update you all should any new information or possible threats arise. Out of an abundance of caution, I will have extra patrols checking all county schools throughout the day tomorrow…”
This post follows the recent tragedy at Oxford High School in Michigan and is a stark reminder that student safety must remain our highest priority. Our building and district emergency response teams continually meet to review and revise our procedures and receive updated training. Each of our buildings has threat and risk assessment teams that are trained to identify students in crisis. Clinical staff providers are always available to students and can offer a wide range of mental health support systems.
We encourage all students to speak directly to a trusted adult in our buildings about any problem or concern. Additionally, we have found Anonymous Alerts to be a useful tool for non-emergency reporting. This electronic reporting system, accessible via our website and the PutnamValley CSD mobile app, allows students or parents to quickly, easily, and anonymously report urgent information to school officials across all of our school campuses.
These types of threatening messages are taken very seriously by law enforcement, and as witnessed in neighboring communities, the creators of these posts are often quickly identified and face significant consequences. Speaking with your children about the powers and dangers of their social media use will help to keep them safe. As always, if you or your child witness any suspicious activities, please contact law enforcement immediately.
Thank you.
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools