WATERBURY, Conn. — The Superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools put out a video to students and parents after chaos erupted at two schools on Thursday.
Waterbury police said at 11:13 a.m., officers went to Crosby High School for a report of a student possibly having a weapon. The school was placed on lockdown and Wallace Middle School, located close by, was as well. Officers investigated the complaint but didn't find a weapon.
During the lockdown, two parents were arrested because, police said, they trespassed into Crosby High School while it was in lockdown and police were still investigating.
"We ask parents and guardians to not surround the school or enter the premise as it jeopardizes the officer's on-site work and can jeopardize the safety of our students and our staff," said Superintendent Dr. Verna D. Ruffin.
Verna said that the rumors that spread across the school moved to social media. Those false reports included claims that a student or students had been stabbed. She encouraged to use the schools' "ParentSquare" feature for official information, and emphasized the importance of online safety and that parents need to educate their children.
"In an era of social media, I know it's tough to distinguish what is true and what is falsified information," said Verna. "Today, such a situation did occur when falsified information did cause chaos, and did cause fear."
Verna announced that they will be holding a student and parent safety forum next week to discuss safety within the district and provide a chance for parents to ask questions.
Watch her full statement here.
"If you’re going to spread any information online, make sure it’s the right information and you got it from the school or a law enforcement agency," Connecticut State Police Trooper First Class Pedro Muniz said on Friday.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
