LISBON -- Lisbon Central School Superintendent Patrick Farrand says increased police presence and additional safety measures will be implemented in the wake of a social media scare that was proven unfounded by state police.

The scare stemmed from a social media message that included first names and mentioned “a game” but did not include a direct threat to students or the school. However, swirling rumors caused concern among students after the school requested police to investigate the matter. Police said the alleged threats were unfounded.

In the wake of the incident, Farrand says the district is reviewing policies and reaching out to students with hopes of avoiding issues in the future.

Farrand says the school has met with a crisis management team to discuss the situation and review safety protocols.

He said the school will increase staff presence in hallways and review emergency procedures. Additionally teachers will spend time in their classrooms discussing responsible and respectful social media use and digital citizenship.

Additionally the school will request increased police presence at the district.

With the police investigation closed, Farrand also shared more details regarding the unfounded scare.

A letter issued to parents by the district follows:

"Dear Parent/Guardian,

On Friday, January 26th, we were made aware of potentially threatening or harassing comments being made on social media outside of school hours.

A post was made on an anonymous Instagram account stating that there is a “game” along with a list of mostly first names. There was no direct threat made. There was no mention of a shooting or a bomb or anything of that nature. However, this post was brought to the attention of the school administration, who in an abundance of caution, proceeded according to the protocol when dealing with an alleged or potential threat. All potential threats are considered extremely serious, and we immediately notified the New York State Police.

The New York State Police are highly trained in these matters, and they determined that there was no direct or credible threat to the Lisbon Central School District or its students. All parents of students with the first names included on the list were contacted by the school.

Rumors and speculation spread on social media, and once we felt that we had all of the information, we shared it as soon as possible on all platforms available to us, including a Facebook post, One-Call Now voice message, text alert, email message, and pop-up website message. We also began preparing this letter to send home with students.

We understand that these types of events are disturbing and upsetting. There is no greater concern for us than the safety of our students, and we will always err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety of our school. We are not able to share details about the investigation, but thankfully, based on the swift action by the NYS Police, we are confident that there is no credible threat at this time. However, to alleviate concerns and help everyone feel safe, we will have an increased police presence within the school.

Additionally, our crisis team met to discuss the situation and review our safety protocols, and a staff meeting was held this morning to ensure that we have an increased presence of staff members in the hallways and that everyone carefully reviews emergency procedures. Teachers will spend time in their classrooms discussing responsible and respectful social media use and digital citizenship. We will also request a police presence at upcoming events now and throughout the weekend. As part of our capital project, our school is undergoing strengthened safety features including many additional security cameras throughout the school campus, and a new card access system. At all times, we keep doors locked upon starting school at 8:30AM, and doors remain locked throughout the day. Our guidance counselors and teachers are available to anyone who is dealing with stress related to this incident.

We thank the students, parents, and faculty who reported the suspicious comments, and we encourage individuals to report any and all information that may threaten/jeopardize the safety of our students, staff, and members of the community.

Please contact me directly if you would like to discuss your questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Patrick Farrand"