Orange County schools expose second alleged threat

The school division is asking parents and students to exercise restraint in spreading rumors about possible violence on school grounds, echoing comments made by authorities in neighboring Greene County after online gossip sparked similar fears there.

The most recent exposed threat occurred at Prospect Heights Middle School in Orange County.

“The PHMS administration is aware of rumors circulating among certain student groups that there is a threat of violence against the school,” the school division said in a statement released Tuesday. “The school administration and the School Resource Officer have investigated all aspects of this situation and determined that there is no threat to PHMS.”

The school division further stated that parents and students should use the appropriate channels to communicate concerns about potential threats: speaking directly to school administrators or police officers.

“We would like to ask parents and guardians to talk to their students about responsible choice of words,” the school division said. “It is important not to cause unnecessary fear by spreading rumors and assumptions.”

Last week, another threat to Orange County schools was exposed after school officials discovered that a “target list of schools” circulating on the social media app TikTok referenced Title I schools in the Georgia area using the same names as Orange County schools.

Earlier this week, on Monday, a 6-year-old was found in possession of a loaded firearm at Orange Elementary School, according to the school's administration and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The child and the gun were removed without incident, authorities said, and there were no direct threats against the school in connection with the incident.