Dear Putnam Valley Community:

This is an unusual letter, but I feel that it is hard to ignore the social media postings and news activity around clown costumes and fear associated with clown sightings in the media and in our surrounding area. I am writing because the threatening aspect of these posts may have become a source of concern for parents and children.  Although there have not been any specific threats regarding our schools, neighboring districts have been dealing with disciplinary issues related to the clown images.

We are asking for your help in reassuring your children.  Monitoring exposure to social media is always prudent and we are also encouraging you to talk with your children about the impact of sharing posts and news stories that incite fear. Yesterday, an incident in Dutchess County resulted in a teen being arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat. We do not want to see our students make this mistake.

We are in close contact with our School Resource Officer, Deputy Pitt and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department to address any concerns. If you do see something suspicious, please report the issue to law enforcement.

Sincerely,

Dr. Frances Wills

Superintendent of Schools

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