‘It’s scary sending your children to school these days’: Parents react after social media threats lead to closings

COVINGTON, Va. – On Friday, police determined there was no threat to Covington City Public Schools or Alleghany County Public Schools, after a threat made on social media forced the schools to close as a precaution. Nevertheless, some parents are still concerned.

The classrooms and halls were empty, but law enforcement stepped up their presence throughout the day.

“It’s always scary sending your children to school these days. They’re supposed to be safe and obviously they’re not,” said Angela Brown, whose 15-year-old son goes to Alleghany High School.

She said this isn’t the first time threats have closed down the schools.

“The thought that somebody can do this and they think they’re going to get by with it, it’s just, it’s unreal,” Brown said.

School officials said a Covington High School student reported a possible threat made on social media from a student in Greenbrier County in West Virginia on Thursday. Although the threat wasn’t made against any school in particular, they all shut down as a precaution.

Friday afternoon, Covington Police announced that 'there is no threat to any of the school systems in our area.” The school systems investigated in collaboration with Covington and Alleghany County law enforcement and authorities from Greenbrier County, W.V., where Jeni Baker and her kids live.

“I think it was really sad,” Baker said. "Whether it was a hoax or not, it put a lot of people out of, out of sorts. I mean, you know, you’re talking about parents, teachers, kids. and I just think it was wrong. I think it’s very wrong.

Those moms agree the schools made the right call by closing, but this probably won’t be the last time they hear about it.

“It’s terrible. It’s a terrible situation," Baker said. "It’s a problem. It’s a big problem nationwide.”

“I don’t think you can change that, you know, social media," Brown said. "But, you know, as long as they find out who did it and take care of the problem, one at a time.”

Alleghany High School postponed a college admissions standardized test that was supposed to take place on Saturday.

Both school districts plan to reopen on Monday.