River Bluff High School parent arrested after incident at school

LEXINGTON, SC – A woman was arrested after she entered River Bluff High School and threatened a staff member on Wednesday, according to police.

Lexington police said they noticed a suspicious person in the school's lobby on Wednesday. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the person was a parent.

According to police, the mother, identified as 34-year-old Danielle Cato, bypassed security in the front office and entered the library, where she began to behave aggressively toward a school employee, yelling, cursing and threatening to assault her.

According to officials, Cato then followed the employee into the lobby, where school security officials were alerted.

Due to the incident, the school was placed on lockdown and students were evacuated from the common area as a precautionary measure.

Police say Cato is charged with school disruption and third-degree assault. She is scheduled to appear at a bail hearing on Thursday.

Below is the statement Lexington School District One issued to families:

Dear RBHS staff and families,

I am writing to inform you that we have implemented a security measure this afternoon due to an individual failing to properly report to office staff after being admitted at the main entrance to the school.

We are grateful that school staff and police responded quickly. The individual was arrested by police officers and we were able to resume normal operations.

We understand that incidents such as this can be upsetting, and we want to assure you that the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or any of our assistant principals.

Thank you for your trust and cooperation in making our school a safe and caring place for our students.

Sincerely,
Jacob Smith
Rector